Breakers much of the same

The 2007 version of the Newport Beach Breakers will be similar to last season’s team which advanced to the World Team Tennis finals.

In the four-round WTT Player Draft held in Miami, the Breakers selected Rick Leach and Ramon Delgado from last season’s squad, along with Lauren Albanese and Michaela Pastikova. The four will play with Pete Sampras, the all-time leader in Grand Slam titles, who returns for his second year on the Breakers.

Sampras will play only one home match this season, July 10 against the Sacramento Capitals, for the Breakers who won the WTT title in 2004.

The WTT format consists of a set to five in men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles.

Leach gives the Breakers strength in doubles as in 19 years he has won 46 ATP doubles titles, five of which were Grand Slams. At USC, Leach was the first four-time NCAA Division I All-American in singles and doubles.

Delgado’s strength lies in singles. The 30-year old is currently ranked No. 145 on the ATP Tour.

Newcomer Pastikova, 27, from the Czech Republic, has seven singles and 10 doubles titles from the ITF Women’s Circuit.

Albanese will give the Breakers lineup an injection of youth. The 17-year old is ranked No. 273 on the WTA Tour.

The Breakers are expected to announce their new coach later this week. Dick Leach, Rick Leach’s father, coached the team last year.