TEAMTENNIS : Dukes Win Their 6th Consecutive Match

The Newport Beach Dukes’ third victory in as many days and sixth consecutive triumph has virtually assured the World TeamTennis franchise of its first playoff berth in its three-year history.

Winning all but one set, the Dukes (7-3) defeated the Los Angeles Strings, 29-18, in front of 4,002 Sunday at the Forum.

“This team is getting better and better,” Coach Greg Patton said. “It’s infectious. Sitting on the bench, I think even my tennis game is getting better, and I haven’t played competitive tennis since Abraham Lincoln was president.”

The second-place Dukes lead the fourth-place Strings (3-7) by four matches, with each team having four matches remaining. A victory by the Dukes or a loss by the Strings would put the Dukes into the playoffs, which begin Aug. 4. The top three teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.

The Dukes remain one match behind the West Division-leading Vail Eagles, a 24-16 overtime winner over the Phoenix Smash Sunday. The Dukes play host to the Eagles Tuesday at the John Wayne Tennis Club. The Dukes are a full match ahead of third-place Sacramento in the race for home-court advantage in the first-round of the playoffs.

The triumph was the Dukes’ first at the Forum in three tries, and narrowed the Strings’ lead in TeamTennis’ version of the Freeway Series to 4-2. The teams meet again Friday at the John Wayne Tennis Club.

The match opened with men’s doubles, with the Strings duo of Jimmy Connors and John Lloyd taking a 3-0 lead over Ronnie Bathman and Rikard Bergh. But Bathman and Bergh won the next six games and Amy Frazier defeated Carrie Cunningham, 6-1, in women’s singles, giving the Dukes a 12-4 advantage.

“Amy is so hot,” Patton said. “Her cross-court backhand is a work of art.”

The Strings again got the early lead in mixed doubles, going ahead 3-1 with Lloyd and Mary Lou Daniels over Bathman and Lise Gregory. Patton then replaced Gregory with Amy Frazier. After Lloyd held to increase the lead to 4-1, the Dukes won the next five games for an 18-8 advantage at intermission.

The Dukes threatened to sweep, with Bergh holding 4-3 and 5-4 leads over Connors, but the two-time Wimbledon champion held serve to tie the set, 5-5 and won the tiebreaker 5-1. Frazier and Gregory then closed out the match with a 6-4 victory over Cunningham and Daniels.

“This team reminds me of Silky Sullivan,” Patton said, referring to the late 1950s race horse who gained fame for his come-from-behind victories. “We were down a break in four out of five sets and kept coming back. I guess these guys like to see the bottom of their tennis shoes before they start doing something.”