You could hear the whispers at the Gates Tennis Center on Saturday: “Hey, that’s Chris Evert’s little sister, isn’t it?”
Live and in the flesh.
But instead of being thought of as Chris’ little sister, Clare Evert-Shane wants to be known for her own career.
Evert-Shane, 37, was convinced by pupil Laura Gordon of Aspen to join her at the Colorado State Open to play in doubles.
“Yeah, I’m playing with only one arm, ’cause she twisted the other one so hard,” Evert-Shane said.
Third-seeded Evert-Shane and Gordon bowed out in the semifinals, falling 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 to second-seeded Sara Anundsen and Rhona Kaczmarczyk. It was the first competitive match for Evert-Shane in 10 years.
“This was just a lot of fun, to just be out here and have the chance to play,” said Evert- Shane, who along with husband Steven and daughter Tatum, 5, live near Aspen.
Said Gordon: “We’ve played together so long, and we’ve never played in a tournament, and I told her if I’m going to play singles, then you’re going to have to come down and play doubles with me.”
Evert-Shane hits a two-handed backhand similar to her sister’s, but the on-court comparisons generally end there.
Evert-Shane works hand-in- hand with Chris, helping to run her Professional-Celebrity Charity Tennis Classic each year in Boca Raton, Fla.
The tournament has helped raise more than $13 million since it began in 1989 to help the fight against drug abuse and child neglect.
“That’s what I do, that’s my job and I love it,” Evert-Shane said. “But to have the chance to come down and join Laura, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to come out and play with.”
