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WTT Orange County Breakers

Newport Beach Breakers Close Out WTT Home Schedule With 17-15 Overtime Loss

July 23, 2008 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Orange County Breakers News Release


NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., July 22, 2008 - The Newport Beach Breakers' July celebration of tennis at Breakers Stadium at Newport Beach Country Club concluded for the year on Wednesday with a 17-15 World TeamTennis Pro League overtime defeat against John McEnroe and the New York Sportimes.

The Breakers' seven-match home schedule featured their own marquee player, Lindsay Davenport, as well as marquee opposition in Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova, Martina Navratilova and the 49-year-old McEnroe, who claimed the top ranking in both singles and doubles during his career. American tennis' best-known personality who now plies his trade in the television booth when not playing WTT, McEnroe won seven Grand Slam singles titles - three at Wimbledon and four at the U.S. Open - nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title during his career.

The Breakers (5-8) were eliminated from playoff contention, with Sacramento's victory over Boston on Tuesday, and close out the regular season Wednesday at the Kansas City Explorers (12-1), which already clinched the WTT Western Conference title and sports the best record in World TeamTennis.

"We came out and fought very hard every night and it was exciting for the fans," Breakers coach Trevor Kronemann said of the Newport Beach community support. "This is the place to play World TeamTennis. You can't beat the weather. They pack the stands. Little kids go home dreaming to be Ramon Delgado and Kaes Van't Hof and that is what we need for the kids. My child goes home wanting to be a tennis player and she's four years old. This place is the class of the league.

"Nineteen years in WTT and I've never seen so many things go against a team. I'd like to think it's all tough luck. The cards were against us. It was like we had two Queens with a dealer showing a 5 ... and he gets the 21. I'm a firm believer in you create your own luck and it seems we couldn't even create it."

The timeless McEnroe, in his eighth season of WTT, displayed that age does not affect his technique, fundamentals and his ability to think the game. He won the second set of the match - in mixed doubles - and helped WTT Eastern Conference-leading New York (10-3) gain a 10-3 lead after two sets.

McEnroe's popularity at Breakers Stadium is in part due to his interplay with the crowd. In the mixed doubles set, he exchanged in playful teasing with the Kaes Van't Hof cheering section in the grandstand.



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