Smith is Rookie of the Year

John-Patrick Smith, who helped lead the Orange County Breakers to their first playoff appearance since 2009, has been named the 2012 World Team Tennis Male Rookie of the Year.

Smith, a 23-year-old from Australia, finished third in the league in men’s singles with a .568 winning percentage. He won 63 of 11 singles games and ended the regular season winning his last seven sets.

Smith and his partner Travis Parrott were the third-ranked men’s doubles team, with a .537 winning percentage.

“It’s a great honor,” said Smith, who was a four-year All-American at the University of Tennessee, in a press release. “I played well this season and had a great time with my teammates, I really enjoyed it. I am very thankful for the opportunity to play here and the competition was great.”

The Breakers (8-6) finished the regular season on a five-match winning streak. They are the top seed for the WTT Western Conference Championship match, which will be against the Sacramento Capitals on Sept. 14 in Charleston, S.C. The Washington Kastles play the New York Sportimes in the Eastern Conference Championship the following day, and the conference champions play for the King Trophy on Sept. 16.

World Team Tennis also announced its other award winners Tuesday. Bobby Reynolds of Washington is the Male MVP, and former world No. 1 Martina Hingis of New York is the Female MVP. Kristyna Pliskova of Philadelphia is the Female Rookie of the Year, and Murphy Jensen of Washington earns Coach of the Year honors.

Smith is the first member of the franchise, formerly the Newport Beach Breakers, to earn Male Rookie of the Year honors. Former Breaker Katerina Bondarenko was the Female Rookie of the Year in 2005.

— From staff reports