Dukes’ Loss to Stronger Strings Puts Playoffs Out of Their Reach : Team Tennis: Newport Beach takes early lead, but falls for third time this season to division leaders.

After showing early signs of life against the Los Angeles Strings, the Newport Beach Dukes gave away the match, 24-21, and were eliminated from playoff contention Friday in front of a capacity crowd at the John Wayne Tennis Club.

Because of the loss--the Dukes’ third of the season to the first-place Strings--Newport Beach (7-6) remained alone in fourth place in the West Division with one match remaining. Only three teams from the division will qualify for the playoffs. The Dukes, who are one match behind San Antonio, a loser to Sacramento Friday night, will finish the regular season tonight in Sacramento. But the best the Dukes can do is tie San Antonio for third place. San Antonio would advance to the playoffs because of game differential. The two teams split matches, but the Racquets won more games.

“I’ll have nightmares about the L.A. Strings for the next five years,” Dukes Coach Greg Patton said.

Although the Strings (12-1) already had clinched first place in the West Division, they didn’t rest on any laurels despite trailing by six games early in the match.

John Lloyd and Nick Brown defeated Roger Smith and Marty Davis, 6-4, in men’s doubles in the final set to give the Strings the victory.

The Strings’ victory in men’s doubles was the their third consecutive set after losing the first two.

After the Dukes took a 12-6 lead, the Strings rallied, taking an 18-17 lead when Robin White beat Amy Frazier, 6-1, in women’s singles in the fourth set of the match.

Frazier, who entered the match as the top-ranked women’s singles player in Team Tennis, never won her serve during the loss to White.

Early in the match, the Dukes appeared to have survived the absence of Sophie Amiach. Amiach, who pulled a muscle above her left knee Thursday in the Dukes’ loss to San Antonio, was replaced by Louise Allen, who was in the area preparing for a women’s tour event in San Diego next week.

Allen and Frazier gave the Dukes an early lead with a 6-4 victory over Anne White and Robin White.

Allen’s only misstep came when leading 5-3 she lost her serve without winning a point. However, Newport Beach immediately broke back as Anne White lost her serve, giving the Dukes the set. In men’s singles, Smith got out to a 3-0 lead as Brown lost his serve twice--the second time when he double faulted on game point. Although Smith lost his next serve, he pulled himself together and won 6-2 to give the Dukes a 12-6 lead.

Because of Amiach’s injury, Frazier played in Amiach’s mixed-doubles spot for the second consecutive night. And the Strings’ Lloyd and Robin White defeated Frazier and Marty Davis, 6-4, a set which proved to be the start of the Strings’ comeback.

During a break between sets, Martina Navratilova presented Billy Jean King with a trophy to honor King for her service to Team Tennis. The sport, which King helped create, is celebrating its 10th year in its present incarnation.