Freedoms ring in WTT crown

NEWPORT BEACH ? The Newport Beach Breakers were as surprised as anyone to make their third consecutive World Team Tennis final appearance after a 6-8 regular season.

But after a win over Springfield in a wild-card match and a triumphant semifinal upset of Sacramento, a second title in three years didn’t seem too far-fetched.

Unfortunately for the Breakers, the surprises ended with a 21-14 loss to the Philadelphia Freedoms in Sunday’s final at Palisades Tennis Club.

Philadelphia’s female tandem of Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs proved to be too much. Neither player dropped a set as the Freedoms (10-6) dominated the Breakers (8-9).

“Today their girls were too strong for us,” Breakers Coach Dick Leach said. “It’d be like if we had [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal.”

Comparing the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked men’s singles players in the world to Raymond and Stubbs might seem a little outlandish. But the Freedoms duo was that potent Sunday.

Raymond is ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles and No. 73 in singles.

Stubbs is the No. 6-ranked doubles player in the world.

Together, they steamrolled the Breakers’ Anastassia Rodionova (No. 41 in doubles and No. 92 in singles) and Tina Krizan, 5-1.

Philadelphia’s women were just as effective when they split up. Raymond took down Rodionova in women’s singles, 5-3.

Stubbs teamed with WTT men’s MVP Daniel Nestor to bounce the Breakers in mixed doubles, 5-0, to close out the match with aplomb.

The Breakers trailed just 16-14 going into the last set, but the 6-foot-3 Nestor and Stubbs were on their game. The Freedoms broke Rick Leach and Krizan to take a 2-0 lead, which gave the Freedoms an 18-14 advantage.

Then Dick Leach substituted in Delgado and Rodionova in a last-ditch effort to save the match.

“Rick came over and said give them a shot,” Dick Leach said.

Delgado and Rodionova didn’t have any more luck than Leach and Krizan. The Breakers’ duo needed to win five straight games to win the match in regulation, but couldn’t so much as capture one.

A Stubbs volley helped the Freedoms break the Breakers again, then a Nestor volley in the fifth game won it.

On the ATP Tour, Nestor and Sacramento’s Mark Knowles are the No. 3-ranked doubles team in the world.

“Rennae and Daniel have played a lot together,” Freedoms Coach Craig Kardon said. “Daniel is so dominant with his kick serve and Rennae is dominant at the net.”

Delgado got the Breakers started on the right track by defeating Jaymon Crabb, 5-3, in men’s singles to open the match.

Delgado also teamed with Rick Leach to capture a 5-3 men’s doubles win.

But Philadelphia’s dominance in women’s singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles, where it outscored Newport Beach 15-4, was the difference.

Philadelphia, similar to Newport Beach, didn’t have the best of regular seasons. But it finished 8-6 to earn a playoff berth, then turned things up a notch.

“Most of our players are former No. 1s or ranked very high,” Kardon said. “They have an extra gear they can go to in big matches.

“On paper, we have the best players, but you have to prove it. We played just well enough to get here during the regular season, then we proved we’re the best in the playoffs.”

Stubbs was named the MVP of the WTT playoffs and earned a $2,500 bonus. She’ll also get a portion of the $30,000 the Freedoms earned for winning the WTT title.

The Breakers earned a $20,000 bonus for finishing second.

“It’s rationed out in a way where I don’t get any,” Dick Leach said. “The players split it four ways. Maybe Pete [Sampras] gets some, too. So it’s a nice little bonus for them.”

Despite the loss, the Breakers are content with the way the season concluded.

“I didn’t think we’d be in the final,” Dick Leach said. “But [Sampras] helped us out in the wild-card match. Then when he got injured [aggravating a hamstring], our regular players had a big win over Sacramento, the top team in the league. I don’t know how we won that one.”