Breakers sport new look

The Newport Beach Breakers have a new home at The Tennis Club Newport Beach, and two new men's players in David Martin and Lester Cook.

They also lost a mainstay. Irrelevant Week just ended in Newport Beach, but "The Desperate Housewives for Ramon Delgado" fan club is now just that: irrelevant. Delgado, the six-year men's singles anchor for Newport Beach who was also the 2008 World Team Tennis Male MVP, is no longer with the team.

Fourth-year coach Trevor Kronemann, also the UC Irvine men's tennis coach, hopes Breakers fans don't have to be desperate anymore. He foresees a competitive season for his team, which reached the Western Conference Finals a year ago before falling to Springfield in a super-tiebreaker.

The Breakers begin their season Monday at Sacramento and their first home match is at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, also against Sacramento.

"It's always a quick 16, 17, 18 days but it's always exciting," Kronemann said. "I'm looking forward to my 21st season in World Team Tennis [as a player, commentator and now coach]."

Martin and Cook join returning women's players Julie Ditty and Marie-Eve Pelletier, who will both be in their second year with the Breakers. Three-time Grand Slam singles winner Maria Sharapova is the team's marquee player, and will join the Breakers for their home match July 20 against Kansas City.

Martin, 29, is a Huntington Beach resident. He has been ranked as high as No. 38 in the world in doubles, in 2008, and has played with Cook in the past. They played together this week in the Nielsen $50,000 United States Tennis. Assn Challenger in Winnetka, Ill., making it to the semifinals.

"I'm really excited to be playing for Newport," Martin said. "I know Lester pretty well, since we've played doubles together. We actually like each other and I think that helps. I think we're going to do very well as a team this summer."

Cook, a 26-year-old who lived in Marina del Rey before recently moving to Florida, is ranked No. 211 in singles by the Assn. of Tennis Professionals. Cook made it to the singles quarterfinals in Winnetka before losing to former top junior Donald Young.

Cook recently lost in both the French Open and Wimbledon singles qualifiers, but his play on the clay in France might transfer to Newport Beach.