Delgado steals show

NEWPORT BEACH — It was easy to get caught up in all the newness Friday night at the Newport Beach Breakers’ season opener against the Sacramento Capitals.

There was a new venue and stadium at the Newport Beach Country Club. There was also a new coach in Trevor Kronemann, and an added curiosity because Anna Kournikova was in town with the Capitals.

“What a great atmosphere,” Kronemann said. “It’s just a really great place to play.”

But amidst the change, a familiar face perhaps came up the biggest for the Breakers in their 20-15 win.

Ramon Delgado, in his fourth year with the Breakers, came into his men’s singles set with Newport Beach down, 10-5. But he topped Sacramento’s Sam Warburg, 5-0, to tie the match and give the Breakers (1-0) momentum that they fed off the rest of the night.

“It was weird, because normally World Team Tennis is all about doubles,” Kronemann said. “Three of the five sets are in doubles, but tonight it was about our singles. Ramon played unbelievably to get us right back into the match at 10-all. He’s been the crowd pleaser and the closer for so many years, and he did his job and got it done.”

From there, the women took over. Newport Beach’s Michaela Pastikova and Lauren Albanese teamed for a 5-2 women’s doubles win over Sacramento’s Kournikova and Milagros Sequera.

Then, Albanese, the 17-year-old from Florida, had an impressive 5-3 women’s singles win over Sequera to close out the Breakers’ victory over the Capitals (0-2).

“Lauren’s a talent,” Kronemann said. “She’s going to be very good. I’ve seen a lot of people come and start their careers here playing World Team Tennis … Lauren hits the ball very well, and she’s got the opportunity to do the same type of thing. Fun to watch.”

Albanese, in her first World Team Tennis match, was particularly effective with her blistering ground strokes, which often served to take control of the point.

“I thought I played well for my first time playing,” Albanese said. “I thought I handled it pretty well. I was listening to the coaches, the coaches are great. I’m just enjoying it.”

Kournikova wore a red outfit, but the color hardly mattered as she attracted the attention of the crowd at Breakers Stadium. But early on, the Breakers’ fans weren’t as thrilled with the two-time Grand Slam doubles champion’s stellar play.

After Sacramento’s Stephen Huss and Warburg beat Delgado and Rick Leach, 5-2, in the night’s opening set, Kournikova and Huss teamed for a 5-3 win over Leach and Pastikova in mixed doubles.

That set featured a Leach serve that was called in but Sacramento Coach Wayne Bryan challenged, utilizing the Hawkeye system available at Breakers Stadium.

“I don’t know,” Kournikova said to her bench. “I didn’t see it. It was too fast for me.”

As fans watched the scoreboard, the replay showed the ball just out and Bryan got down on the ground, bobbing up and down in mock worship of the Hawkeye.

Later in that same game, a ball was called out in the Breakers’ favor. But, due to a miscommunication, Kronemann actually challenged the call. Leach, grinning, threw the challenge flag back toward the Newport Beach bench, but it was too late.

“First time in history an out call is challenged by its own team,” the announcer said, drawing laughs.

But pretty soon, the Breakers had taken their momentum back and taken matters into their own hands.

“We just had to hang in there and get through it,” Kronemann said. “It’s a momentum game; it’s up and down. We were 10-5 down, and then you take a look at the scoreboard and we won 15 of the last 20 games.”

The Breakers hope to keep their momentum going tonight, when they play host to the Springfield Lasers at 7 p.m. at Breakers Stadium.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.