NEWPORT BEACH TENNIS : Briggs and Kronemann Team Up to Win Again

After a year’s separation, Mike Briggs and Trevor Kronemann held a tennis reunion they hope to make permanent.

Dressed in identical beach-cum-tennis outfits, Briggs and Kronemann, who as UC Irvine teammates last year lost in the NCAA finals, defeated Ian Aler and Craig Johnson, 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, in the finals of the men’s open division of the Adoption Guild Charity tournament at the Newport Beach Tennis Club Sunday.

In the women’s open final, Kathy May Paben and Stephanie Rehe defeated Linda Howell and Barbara Gerken, 6-7 (7-3), 6-4, 6-3.

Briggs turned professional after his sophomore season at Irvine, so he and Kronemann never got the chance to return to the NCAA final, which they lost to Eric Amend and Byron Black of USC last year. But now that Kronemann, who accepted his share of the $4,000 that went to the winning men’s team Sunday, has completed his collegiate eligibility, the two plan to get together again.

Kronemann likely will play Team Tennis, possibly with the Charlotte Heat, and once that is over, he said he and Briggs will team up again with their sights on qualifying for the French Open next year.

UC Irvine tennis Coach Greg Patton put the reunion into his usual hyperbolic perspective.

“It’s like two guys who were just dating other girls and couldn’t wait to get back to their true love,” Patton said.

Briggs said it was like Bonnie and Clyde reuniting. Kronemann used another analogy about lovers. “He brings out the best in me and I bring out the best in him,” Kronemann said.

Briggs and Kronemann struggled to hold serve early in the first set, but by the finish of the set they were pumping their fists and rousing the crowd with spectacular plays at the net, winning, 6-4.

Late in the second set, Aler and Johnson broke Briggs, who was serving for the match at 5-4. Aler and Johnson later forced a tiebreaker and won it. But Aler was broken early in the third set and Briggs and Kronemann took a 3-0 lead and held serve for the match.

The women’s title was won by Rehe and May Paben, a pair of professional players on the mend. May Paben, 33, retired from the tour nine years ago. Then known as Kathy May or Kathy May Teacher, she was ranked as high as 10th in the world. Rehe, 20, was ranked 14th when she was knocked off the tour in November, 1988 after injuring her back in a car accident.