WTT Orange County Breakers

Newport Beach Breakers Drop Overtime Heartbreaker To Kansas City, 20-18

Published on July 6, 2008 under World TeamTennis (WTT)
Orange County Breakers News Release


NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., July 5, 2008 - The Newport Beach Breakers, fresh from Thursday's season-opening victory at defending World TeamTennis champion Sacramento, opened their 2008 home campaign and came within a point of forcing a supertiebreaker before losing to the Kansas City Explorers, 20-18, in overtime in front of 1,512 fans at Breakers Stadium at Newport Beach Country Club.

Down 15-12 to begin the final set, the Breakers (1-1) put their fate on the racket of trusty veteran Ramon Delgado, who ranked second in WTT last year in games won percentage in men's singles (59%, 35-of-59 games won).

Delgado faced a must-win proposition against the Explorers' ace, Dusan Vemic, in men's singles in order to keep the match alive. The set went to a tiebreaker, where Vemic double faulted consecutively and Delgado capitalized to take the set, 5-4. Though the Breakers were still down 19-17 after regulation, the trailing team forces overtime if it wins the final set of the match.

Delgado broke Vemic's service to open the overtime but Vemic broke back immediately, losing two match points to Delgado before winning the match at 3-3 (deuce) in the second game (WTT plays no-advantage scoring).

"The 3-all points are huge. Without keeping track, I think they were ahead on winning those. We'd get 3-1s and 3-2s and we need to get those. Dusan Vemic just played the big points a little better," said Breakers coach Trevor Kronemann, who is convinced that his teamlooks to be a playoff contender. "Being at home, it's great. It's just a great place to play. We've got youthful enthusiasm with Kaes and Angie and with the returning players, I think you've got a little bit of a different outlook for us this year."

The Breakers' home opener featured a 'ladies first' theme as German Angelika Bachmann made her WTT home debut at Breakers Stadium in the opening set. She ran Haynes ragged from the baseline on the way to a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Kansas City's Angela Haynes. The Explorers (2-0) took the lead in the next set as its women's doubles team of Haynes and Rennae Stubbs rolled to a 5-0 win.

Mixed doubles followed and featured Newport Beach native, Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana) and USC graduate, and 2008 NCAA Division I doubles champion Kaes Van't Hof's first WTT set on his home court. Van't Hof, backed by his own rowdy cheering section in the grandstand, teamed with Bachmann to bring the crowd to its feet upon taking the third set, 5-4, and evening the match at 10-10.

"It's something I've always dreamed about," Van't Hof said of coming home to play professionally in WTT. "Now I'm lucky to be part of the real deal. I'm always nervous, playing in front of all your friends. It's a tough adjustment, but it was also a lot of fun. We'll get the wins. They'll come."

Saturday's Breakers' match was preceded by Bank of America Junior Night, which was a smashing success before the pros took the court. Earlier in the day, 200 kids - from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Anaheim and the City of Santa Ana Recreation Centers - participated in a tennis clinic, hosted by Breakers coach Trevor Kronemann and his team. Afterward, the children were treated to a nutritious dinner from Café International, learning about the value of exercise and nutrition in the process.

Additionally, fans 16 and under received a discounted general admission ticket for $10, a tennis racket from WTT Pro League presenting sponsor Advanta and a Breakers t-shirt from Bank of America.

Results:

Women's Singles - Angelika Bachmann (NB) def. Angela Haynes (KC), 5-1

Women's Doubles - Rennae Stubbs/Haynes (KC) def. Michaela Pastikova/Bachmann (NB), 5-0

Mixed Doubles - Kaes Van't Hof/Bachmann (NB) def. Dusan Vemic/Stubbs (KC), 5-4 (5-4 tiebreak)

Men's Doubles - James Auckland/Vemic (KC) def. Ramon Delgado/Van't Hof (NB), 5-2

Men's Singles - Delgado (NB) def. Vemic (KC), 5-4 (5-2 tiebreak)

Overtime - Delgado (NB) tied Vemic (KC), 1-1

Final: Kansas City Explorers 20, Newport Beach Breakers 18 (OT)

The Breakers hit the road for matches on consecutive nights - Monday at the Springfield Lasers and Tuesday at the St. Louis Aces - before coming home Thursday to play Springfield. Thursday's home match will mark the inclusion of Breakers marquee player Lindsay Davenport, the former World No. 1 and Laguna Beach resident, in her only Breakers home appearance of the season.

Tickets, sponsorship and more information on the Newport Beach Breakers are readily available by calling 714-352-6301 or visiting www.NewportBeachBreakers.com, where fans can purchase tickets and choose their own seats from an online seating chart that takes real-time inventory. Individual general admission match tickets range from $15-$45. Also available are General Admission season tickets at $210; a Lefty Legends Package, for matches July 21 vs. Boston and July 22 vs. New York, for $70; and a Singles Night Package for the July 13 match vs. Washington for $45 (includes one free drink coupon, pre-match singles mingling and a special singles seating area).

The Breakers are owned by WTT founder Billie Jean King. Hoag Hospital Foundation has been granted the rights to manage the Breakers through 2009 by WTT with profits from the team's operations for the season benefiting Hoag Hospital.

The World TeamTennis Pro League presented by Advanta is set to begin its 33rd season. Each WTT team is comprised of two men, two women and a coach. Team matches consist of five events - one set each of men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. The first team to reach five games wins each set. A nine-point tiebreaker is played if a set reaches four-all. One point is awarded for each game won. If necessary, overtime and a supertiebreaker are played to determine the outright winner of the match.

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