Vania King, a Long Beach native and a Poly grad, qualified for the U.S. Open as a Wild Card after a great Summer showing at World TeamTennis.  She said she was excited (and nervous) to be playing in a Grand Slam in the States—she won her first round match after her opponent withdrew due to injury (she was winning when the injury occurred).  But that seemed likely to be the end of the road to her.

Until King shocked the world yesterday, with a 7-5, 6-4 defeat of no. 15-seed Samantha Stosur, from Australia.  A Wild Card defeating a 15-seed is the equivalent of, say, the Bills winning the Super Bowl.  It doesn’t happen often.

And, as Tennis Weekly’s Steve Pratt, writing for the PT, reports, she got to do it in front of one of her idols—fellow Poly grad Billie Jean King, who was on hand to cheer on her fellow Jackrabbit.  King told Pratt after the match, “ This is a great win for her. Go Jackrabbits!”

Go Jackrabbits indeed—King’s next match will be Friday or Saturday, and we’ll let you know when you can watch it as soon as we hear!