She had plenty of those last night, winning all three events she played in: women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. And the Lobsters beat the New York Sportimes, 25-16, in their season opener at the Ferncroft Country Club.
The victory also served as revenge; last summer’s Lobsters’ season ended when they lost the Eastern Conference championship to the Sportimes, 22-17. The familiar foes will face each other tonight, too, but this time in New York.
It’s not surprising the Lobsters’ announcer knew the boys’ names. Husslage and Ades attended most of the Lobsters home matches last season. (Ades’s mother had season tickets.) That’s when the boys gained their superfan reputations, and that’s when they decided Vandeweghe was their favorite player.
“She’s a great player and she’s fun,’’ Husslage said. “She’s interactive.’’
Since she is the Lobsters’ most vocal team member - starting chants herself during the men’s matches - it makes sense that she loves hearing Husslage and Ades cheering for her.
“That’s totally what World TeamTennis is about,’’ Vandeweghe said. “I knew them from last year. They came out - gosh, it felt like every match. That’s the point of World TeamTennis, having the crowd involved and making it more like an arena sport.’’
Vandeweghe, 19, said she enjoys playing with the Lobsters so much because she grew up around team sports, like basketball and volleyball. Her mother, Tauna, was a member of the US swimming team at the 1976 Olympics and won a silver medal in volleyball in the 1984 Olympics. Vandeweghe’s uncle, Kiki, played in the NBA for 13 years.
For a few weeks each summer, she returns to that team mindset she grew up around. This is her third season playing World TeamTennis, and her second with the Lobsters. She is currently ranked No. 98 in the world in singles.
Last year, Vandeweghe helped spark Husslage’s and Ades’s interest in the Lobsters. After nearly a year apart, the three of them were reunited on the court. During a brief rain delay in the opening men’s single match - which Lobsters’ Jan-Michael Gambill won, 5-2 - Vandeweghe went over to the ballboys to joke around.
