Loss to Charlotte Bounces Dukes From TeamTennis Playoffs

The Newport Beach Dukes, needing a victory to reach the playoffs, instead saw their season end Sunday with a 28-20 loss to Charlotte in a TeamTennis match at Charlotte, N.C.

The Dukes finished 6-8 and tied for third place with Wichita and Sacramento in the Western Division. Wichita advances to the playoffs on the tie-breaker.

The Dukes’ only set victory Sunday came in men’s singles. Rick Leach beat former UC Irvine standout Trevor Kronemann, 6-4.

Mike De Palmer and Kronemann had opened the match by beating Leach and Tim Pawsat, 6-3, in men’s doubles.

Ginger Helgeson increased Charlotte’s lead to 12-8 with a 6-5 (5-4) victory over Manon Bollegraf in women’s singles.

In women’s doubles, Helgeson and Tammy Whittington beat Bollegraf and Elise Burgin, 6-4.

De Palmer and Helgeson defeated Bollegraf and Pawsat, 6-2, in mixed doubles.

Last Thursday, the Dukes improved their playoff chances greatly with a victory over previously undefeated San Antonio, but then fell hard over the weekend.

The Dukes were defeated by Atlanta, 29-15, Saturday and couldn’t recover Sunday against Charlotte, the second-place team in the Eastern Division.

San Antonio (13-1) won the Western Division and gets a bye in the first round of the playoffs as does Atlanta (12-2), which won the Eastern Division.

Wichita is at Los Angeles (8-6) and New Jersey (6-8) is at Charlotte (7-7) in first-round playoff matches Tuesday.