Davenport back with Breakers

The Newport Beach Breakers selected Women’s Tennis Association star Lindsay Davenport with the first pick of the World Team Tennis Marquee Player Draft on Tuesday.

Davenport, a Laguna Beach resident and formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, will play one home match for the Breakers in July at Newport Beach Country Club’s Breakers Stadium and one away match.

“We are ecstatic to welcome Lindsay back to Newport Beach,” Breakers executive director Jeff Purser said in a statement. “As one of the brightest stars on the WTA Tour, Lindsay brings with her an impressive list of credentials that we hope will lead the team to the 2008 WTT championship and the King Trophy.

“We believe she is back where she belongs, where her hometown fans can cheer her along.”

Davenport, 31, last played for Newport Beach in 2003. She holds three Grand Slam singles titles and was the year-end World No. 1 player in 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2005.

Davenport is married to Jonathan Leach, the brother of the Breakers’ Rick Leach. She gave birth to her fist child, Jagger, last June and returned to tennis just six weeks later. Since her return to the WTA, she has won three singles titles, adding to her career total of 54 singles titles.

Newport Beach, the 2004 WTT champion, finished last year 3-11, but the Breakers sold out five of its seven home matches.

Other top stars selected in the Marquee Draft were Serena Williams (Washington Kastles), Venus Williams (Philadelphia Freedoms), Martina Navratilova (Boston Lobsters) and Bob and Mike Bryan (Kansas City Explorers).

Team schedules will be released later this month, and teams will continue to build their rosters April 1 when the WTT Roster Player Draft is held in Miami.

Additional marquee players could be added prior to the start of the season, which runs July 3-23.

— From staff reports