Delgado to wave adios?

For the past six summers, Newport Beach has been Ramon Delgado’s home away from home.

Mi casa es su casa.

My house is your house.

Back in 2004, Newport Beach opened its doors to the 27-year-old from Paraguay. Uncertain about life here, Delgado came for his love. Tennis. To play tennis for the Newport Beach Breakers.

Delgado, now 32, left town for probably the last time Wednesday night. He has a new love.

Her name is Maria Fernanda, his 4-month-old daughter. She’s in Asunción, Paraguay, with her mother, Alejandra.

In the sport of tennis, there are crucial points in a game. This one is no exception.

Delgado plans to give up competitive tennis in the U.S. to be there for his newborn and wife.

“I really miss them,” Delgado said. “It’s my priority now to spend time with them.”

Delgado has counted the days he’s been away from home. Today marks the 25th day. He’s eager to return.

Waiting a couple of more days won’t hurt.

Delgado has led Newport Beach back into contention for a World Team Tennis championship. The Breakers (9-5) play the Springfield Lasers (12-2) in the Western Conference playoffs today in Missouri.

The start to Delgado’s career in Newport Beach began in grand fashion, winning a title in his rookie year.

Five seasons later, he’s a proud father. The number of crowns he’s helped the Breakers win matches the number of kids he has. One.

Delgado wants to return home with a prize to show his daughter why he’s been away. Getting past the Lasers for the first time this season will be a challenge.

The Breakers dropped the two meetings against Springfield during the regular season.

“That’s my goal,” Delgado said of winning a championship in his final year. “I won it my first year and it was great, but then we had two final [appearances] in a row [and lost each time]. The last two [losing] years have been tough.

“I think we have a pretty good chance [to win]. [The Lasers] have really good girls, Vania [King] and [Liezel] Huber.

But you never know what can happen in World Team Tennis.”

When Delgado is competing, the opposition has learned no lead is safe.

Delgado is the comeback king in this format. Since Trevor Kronemann took over as Newport Beach’s coach in 2007, he has penciled Delgado to play men’s singles at the end.

Usually, Delgado does one of two things. He closes out the match or rallies the Breakers from a huge deficit.

The reigning WTT Male MVP hasn’t disappointed. This season he forced overtime three times, prevailing twice, and he finished opponents off twice in super tiebreakers to lift the Breakers to victories.

Newport Beach went on to finish second in the Western Conference, rebounding nicely after going 8-20 the past two years. The Breakers missed the playoffs each time.

Delgado is the reason Newport Beach is back.

He beat Grand Slam champions Andre Agassi and Michael Chang, and then a 21-year-old rising star in Sam Querrey in men’s singles sets.

“It was a great experience for me,” Delgado said of pulling out a 5-3 road victory against Querrey of the St. Louis Aces before facing his childhood idol, Agassi, two days later in Newport Beach on July 17 and beating him by the same score.

“I didn’t know if I could compete against a guy [who was ranked 34th at the time] in the world. I beat him. I felt good.”

This year has been good to Delgado.

He won 66 of 117 games (56.4 percent), tying him for first in games won with Jan-Michael Gambill of the Boston Lobsters.

Gambill has a slightly better winning percentage, but Kronemann believes Delgado is currently the best men’s singles player in the league.

“He has a great chance to win MVP of the league again, which is very difficult to do,” said Kronemann, who is one of three males to earn the MVP multiple times during his 20 years being associated in WTT. “About five years ago, they did a World Team Tennis best 30 players in the history, and I think Ramon is right up there with one of those top 30 that were mentioned.

“If this is his last year, what a way to go out. The man deserves everything that he got out of playing tennis. He’s had a wonderful time here in Newport Beach and I think it will be something that he will remember for the rest of his life.”

Delgado isn’t completely ruling out a return to Newport Beach next summer.

The memories might lure him back.

“I have some great friends now and they come out every match to see me,” said Delgado, referring to his former coach Dick Leach, general manager Jeff Purser, and the ladies of his fan club, the Desperate Housewives for Ramon Delgado. “The people have really embraced me. It’s going to be sad if I don’t come back next year. I play for the best team in the league, no question about it.

“I’m really thankful for everybody in Newport Beach. I hope maybe next year there’s a slight chance that I try to get ready and come back, maybe at least for doubles, and maybe Kaes [Van’t Hof] can play singles.”

Delgado smile grew after the comment.

If he’s back next summer, Delgado wants his wife and child to be with him. He said summers with “la familia” are always the best.