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Newport Beach Breakers advance to |
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. (July 29, 2006) --- Despite getting blown out in the first set, 5-0, the Newport Beach Breakers continued their surprising run in the WTT Playoffs, coming from behind to oust the top-seeded Sacramento Capitals 19-18 in World TeamTennis action Saturday in Newport Beach. The Breakers advanced to Sunday’s 1 p.m. WTT Championship Final where they will face the winner of Saturday evening’s semifinal between the New York Sportimes and the Philadelphia Freedoms.
Doubles standouts Mark Knowles and Elena Likhovtseva got the Caps off to a quick start with a 5-0 drubbing of Tina Krizan and Rick Leach. Newport Beach rallied in women’s singles when Anastassia Rodionova posted a 5-2 win over Likhovtseva. Sacramento bounced back in men’s singles when Sam Warburg held off the Breakers’ Ramon Delgado in a tiebreaker, 5-4 (3). Not willing to go away quietly, the Breakers rallied in women’s doubles with Rodionova and Krizan going to another tiebreaker to oust Likhovtseva and Anastassia Pavlyuchenkova 5-4 (1). The Breakers completed the comeback when Delgado and Leach surprised Knowles and Warburg in men’s doubles, 5-2.
“We all played really well today,” Delgado said following the match. “I am so happy we played so well in doubles to close out the match. It was really unbelievable that we came back to win the match without having to go to overtime. All day long the whole team stayed together on every point in every game.”
Newport Beach went 6-8 in the regular season and advanced to Saturday’s semifinal round with a 23-18 win over the Springfield Lasers Thursday in the WTT wild card quarterfinal.
Agate:
#4 Newport Beach Breakers def. #1 Sacramento Capitals 19-18
Mixed Doubles: Mark Knowles / Elena Likhovtseva (Sacramento Capitals) def. Rick Leach/Tina Krizan (Newport Beach Breakers) 5-0
Women’s Singles: Anastassia Rodionova (Newport Beach Breakers) def. Elena Likhovtseva (Sacramento Capitals) 5-2 (Likhovtseva substituted for Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at 0-2)
Men’s Singles: Sam Warburg (Sacramento Capitals) def. Ramon Delgado (Newport Beach Breakers) 5-4 (3)
Women’s Doubles: Tina Krizan/Anastassia Rodionova (Newport Beach Breakers) def. Elena Likhovtseva/Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Sacramento Capitals) 5-4 (1)
Men’s Doubles: Ramon Delgado/Rick Leach (Newport Beach Breakers) def. Mark Knowles/Sam Warburg (Sacramento Capitals) 5-2