Husband/Wife Nationals coverage from Pittsburgh, PA

Of all the National events, none seems to be more friendly and social than the Husband/Wife…at least in the early rounds. Players were in agreement that the goal of the tournament was not necessarily to win, but to remain married. Camaraderie and sportsmanship were on display in Pittsburgh.

Unlike the Mixed, the Husband/Wife Nationals started out with a bang. In the first round, local Pittsburgh favorites Guy and Jane Herrmann defeated #1 seeded Robin and Bob Fulton. The remaining three out-of-town favorites proceeded on to the semi-finals as planned.

George and paddle newcomer Lauren Zink defeated Guy and Jane in a tight two-setter. Lauren, fresh back from the maternity ward, showed why she had not yet lost a match in her first six tournaments. Although still new to the wires, Lauren demonstrated that with solid ground-strokes, screen-play is just a technicality. Superman must have married Wonder Woman.

Tim and Tonia Mangan defeated John “Lee” and Leslie Hough in a tight three-set semi-final match.

The stage was set for Lauren to get her proper introduction into the paddle community. Six weeks after giving birth to their first child, Zachary Tyler, Lauren and George earned their first Husband-Wife title with their win over Tim and Tonia.

We can guarantee that these names will be repeated all over the Husband/Wife marquis for years to come.