Sharapova marquee player for Breakers this summer

Three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova will join the Newport Beach Breakers as their marquee player this summer at Newport Beach Country Club.

The 21-year-old Russian will play in the Breakers’ 2009 regular-season finale on July 22 against the Kansas City Explorers at Breakers Stadium. Sharapova, the former World No. 1 who is now No. 30, played for the Breakers when she was 16 before she made a splash on the world tennis scene. Owner of 19 WTA Tour singles titles, she played for the Breakers from 2003-05, playing for the Breakers full time in 2003 and contributing to their 2004 World Team Tennis championship, and came back to the team in 2007.

Sharapova is one of four marquee players who will appear at Breakers Stadium. Andre Agassi comes with the Philadelphia Freedoms on July 17. John McEnroe plays with the New York Sportimes in Newport Beach July 21 and Michael Chang will accompany the Sacramento Capitals against the Breakers on July 11.

The Breakers completed their roster at Tuesday’s WTT Pro League draft in Miami, protecting perennial fan favorite and 2008 league MVP Ramon Delgado in the first round, selecting USTA Pro Circuit all-time win leader Julie Ditty in the second round, also protecting Newport Beach resident Kaes Van’t Hof in the third round, and selecting Canadian Marie-Eve Pelletier in the fourth round. The Breakers will play 14 matches (seven at home) during the 2009 WTT Pro League regular season, which runs July 2-22.

Tickets and team information can be found online at www.NewportBeachBreakers.com.

— From staff reports