NEWPORT BEACH BREAKERS PREVIEW:
With Wimbledon wrapping up, fans are being treated to spectacular play across the pond from players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Venus and Serena Williams.
But Saturday night, local tennis fans will get a treat of their own: the Newport Beach Breakers are back in town for another World Team Tennis season.
The Breakers have their home opener Saturday night at 7 at Newport Beach Country Club, against the Kansas City Explorers.
Last year, the team sold out five of its seven home matches, and raised money for Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in the process. On the court, however, the results were a disappointing 3-11 record, as the Breakers lost their last six matches.
There will be a mix of old and new as the team looks to display its previous championship form, the form that helped the Breakers win the WTT title in 2004 and reach the finals each of the next two years.
Coach Trevor Kronemann returns for his second year with the Breakers, and 19th in WTT overall as a player, coach and announcer. Kronemann, also the men’s tennis coach at UC Irvine, previously coached the Springfield Lasers for seven seasons.
The veteran Ramon Delgado also is back for his fifth season with Newport Beach. The 2004 World Team Tennis finals MVP, Delgado, 31, has been a fan favorite and reliable singles player for the Breakers. He’s ranked No. 327 in the world.
This year, however, the player from Paraguay has a new men’s doubles partner in Newport Beach’s own Kaes Van’t Hof. Van’t Hof, 21, just graduated from USC and attended Mater Dei High. He is coming off an NCAA doubles championship with partner Robert Farah.
Czech player Michaela Pastikova also returns to the Breakers for her second year. Pastikova, 28, is ranked No. 241. She was a versatile player for the Breakers last year, at times playing women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles in the same match.
Pastikova, too, will have a new women’s doubles partner in German player Angelika Bachmann. Bachmann, 29, is ranked No. 141 in singles and is also top 200 in doubles.
The Breakers will also be bolstered by the presence of former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, who will play at home for the Breakers on July 10 against Springfield and on the road against Sacramento on July 12. Davenport is coming off a knee injury that caused her to withdraw from the second round of Wimbledon, and may just play doubles.
Other marquee players scheduled to appear as visitors include Serena Williams (July 13), Anna Kournikova (July 16), Martina Navratilova (July 21) and John McEnroe (July 22).
The top two teams from each conference, plus a wild-card team, advance to the playoffs beginning July 24 at Sacramento’s venue in Roseville.
Sacramento is the defending WTT champion.
MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.
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