Lobsters Tennis Back for Sixth Season

June 17, 2010  Boston Business Journal

Bostonians don’t have to travel to England’s Wimbledon or even Flushing Meadows in New York to see famous tennis players sweat it out on the courts.

On July sixth, the Boston Lobsters professional tennis team will kick off its sixth season.

Some high-profile names on the team’s roster this year include James Blake, who played at Harvard, and top-ranked John Isner. Newcomer Coco Vandeweghe is also on the roster.

Visiting opponents this summer will include Anna Kournikova and Martina Hingis.

The Lobsters will host seven matches at the Ferncroft Country Club, which has maximum seating of about 1,800 people.

Last year’s season closed out with about 7,500 attendees, but CEO Bahar Uttam hopes to hit 9,000 this year.

“We’re better-known now and we have a following,” said Uttam.

Ticket prices range from $15 to $60 for box seats.

This year’s team sponsor’s include Joan K. Norton Financial and Polar Beverages.

Uttam notes that the Lobsters’ big selling point is that families are able to see a high-quality tennis matches, at lower prices than a Red Sox game.

“And it’s not like Wimbledon, (where) you can’t cheer and shout,” said Uttam.