Net Gains for Leukemia Society

‘Tis the season to be sporty--or at least indulge in sports-themed fetes.

On Friday, tennis players and tennis boosters rubbed tennis elbows at the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach, raising an estimated $30,000 for the local chapter of the Leukemia Society of America and the Women’s Sports Foundation, based in Newport Beach.

The party--hosted by the Newport Beach Dukes professional tennis team--featured silent and live auctions, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a clutch of celebrities from the land of sports memories.

Center Court

The night’s honoree was Tracy Austin--she of the flying pigtails and two-handed backhand who climbed to the top ranks of women’s tennis as a teen-ager.

Now 28 years old, Austin saw her career become derailed two years ago when she was injured in a car accident in New Jersey. (Austin, who lives in Redondo Beach, was on the road as a member of the L.A. Strings--the same pro team the Dukes beat in a match at the John Wayne Tennis Club on Saturday night.)

Lately, Austin has found employment in the announcer’s booth, most recently as part of the NBC team covering Wimbledon.

Before entering the hotel ballroom, the part-time member of the press corps volleyed answers at a battery of reporters. Exercising the reserve she made famous on the court, Austin allowed that doing commentary was “fun,” that she “may” take a stab at the pro tour again (“we’ll see”), and that she likes to do what she can for local charities.

At Close Range

While Austin’s presence didn’t cause the frenzy stirred by Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova--last year’s honoree and award presenter, respectively--she did make an impression in her cherry-colored jacket and checked miniskirt.

Among those who zoomed to the sports starlet was Peter Donovan, the former public relations director for the L.A. Strings. Donovan remembered booking matches between a 10-year-old Austin and local television and sports personalities--a crowd-pleasing diversion for the intermissions in pro-team play.

“Here was this little girl, dragging her racquet with both hands, beating the pants off these adults--who were all pretty good tennis players,” Donovan said. “Everyone fell in love with her.”

Also Seen

Emcee duties fell to Jeff Severson, a former Rams football player who retired in 1980. Former L.A. Laker Lucius Allen, now a sports agent in Los Angeles, attended with his wife, Eve.

Dukes coach Greg Patton and teammates Rick Leach, Amy Frazier, Manon Bollegraf, Elise Burgin, Tim Pawsat and Stephen Enochs mingled with their fans.

Among the 224 guests who paid $75-per were Dukes supporters Jennifer and Bob Hochstadter (he’s the team’s announcer and assistant coach), Lula and Marion Halfacre, Nancy and Jim Shapiro, Linda and Ron Beale, and Debbie and Rick Dyer.

Quote

So Fred--you ask the Dukes’ owner, Fred Lieberman--are you a player?

“Yeah,” Lieberman answers. Grin. “A card player.”

Tennis, II

Stefan Edberg and other “Kings of the Court” dazzled at the Newport Beach Tennis Club on Sunday as guests of a benefit for the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis. In late-afternoon matches--including an eight-game singles set against Newport Beach Dukes player Rick Leach of Laguna Beach--pros dashed or wheeled from baseline to baseline for a crowd that paid $25 to $100 to be court side. The benefit raised an estimated $30,000.