Delgado holds off McEnroe

NEWPORT BEACH ? John McEnroe showed he’s still got some game, and he’s still got some bite.

He protested several calls, interacted with heckling fans and huffed and puffed. The 47-year-old Hall of Famer also hit some impressive tennis shots.

But, in the end, it wasn’t enough for a victory.

McEnroe, the old dog, forced Ramon Delgado, Newport Beach’s horse, to a tiebreaker in men’s singles, then a super-tiebreaker.

But with the score tied, Delgado dominated the super-tiebreaker set, giving the Breakers a 21-20 World Team Tennis win over the New York Sportimes on Tuesday night at Palisades Tennis Club.

The Breakers finish the regular season 6-8, but go advance to the postseason as a wild-card team.

“We get Pete [Sampras] back,” Breakers Coach Dick Leach said. “He has been playing better and better. I like our chances.”

McEnroe was New York’s workhorse on Tuesday. Playing his only scheduled match of the season, McEnroe went 2-1 in three sets.

He helped bring the Sportimes back from a 10-5 hole by teaming with Vladka Uhlirova to win mixed doubles, 5-3, over Tina Krizan and Rick Leach.

Then the 10-time Grand Slam doubles champion teamed with David Martin to defeat Delgado and Leach, 5-3, in men’s doubles, pulling the Sportimes to within 16-15 with only men’s singles remaining.

Delgado, as he has done so many times before, came through in the clutch for the Breakers. His nine-point tiebreaker set with McEnroe was tied, 4-4, when McEnroe delivered an ace to tie the match, 20-20, and force a super-tiebreaker.

But McEnroe had trouble with Delgado’s serve and double-faulted himself.

Delgado shut out McEnroe in the super-tiebreaker, 7-0. Delgado’s blistering return of a McEnroe serve down the left side was the match-winner.

“I was right there,” McEnroe said. “I fought hard. I felt like I played well, but he was hitting some big balls. This guy’s got some pop to his game.”

The crowd was into every point, and McEnroe appreciated the drama.

“It was fun and exciting,” he said. “Tonight was a good example of why this can be so much fun.”

Despite a group of hecklers, to which McEnroe responded by imitating a guy trying to wring out the last few drops from a bottle, he said the crowd liked him.

“I felt like I was winning the crowd over,” McEnroe said.

McEnroe chose Newport Beach as his one WTT match this season because he owns a home in Malibu. He’s participating in the league for the sixth year because of co-founder Billie Jean King.

The Breakers play the No. 4 playoff qualifier (based on record), in a wild-card match Thursday at 7 p.m. at Palisades.

The Sportimes (10-4) won the Eastern Conference, while the Western Conference qualifiers are the Sacramento Capitals and the Springfield Lasers.

The Delaware Smash appears to have edged the Philadelphia Freedoms for the other Eastern Conference playoff berth.

Delaware and Philadephia both concude their regular-season schedule tonight and Deleware has a one-game lead.

Tickets for the postseason are available.

Weekend packages (the wild-card match, Saturday’s semifinals and Sunday’s final) range from $150 (general admission) to $775 (reserved).

A combined ticket for the wild-card match and Sunday’s final is $75 (general admission) and $150 (reserved).

A one-day pass for either the semifinals or the final is $60 (general admission) and $100 (reserved).

dpt-breakers.BGraphicInfoKT1TA99F20060726KT1TA99FCredit: Caption: (LA) dpt.26-wtt-5-BPhotoInfoKT1TA97G20060726j2ztyhncCredit: MARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT Caption: (LA)John McEnroe hits a backhand during mixed doubles play in Tuesday’s World Team Tennis match. dpt.26-wtt-1-BPhotoInfoKT1TA91M20060726j2ztvoncCredit: MARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT Caption: (LA)New York Sportimes’ John McEnroe, center, argues a call with the head umpire, left, as New York Sportimes’ Head Coach Chuck Adams, right, looks on.