Baughman Bros. win senior tennis titles

Published 1:33 pm Thursday, July 12, 2018

In tennis, getting older doesn’t mean the end of competition. Brothers Henry Baughman and Jim Baughman of Stanford are a perfect example of how tennis is a lifelong sport.

The duo, who were tennis champions at Stanford High School and in college at the University of Kentucky, have never stopped their competitive play, claiming many medals, trophies and titles over the years.

The latest haul of hardware came over the Independence Day holiday as Henry and Jim combined for three different titles – the 80 & Over Doubles title, the 80 & Over Singles title and the 75 & Over Singles title – in the Firecracker Tennis Tournament at The Tennis Club at Springhurst in Louisville.

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However, the Baughmans almost didn’t get the opportunity to claim the titles. They ended up having to play only one match in each division to capture the first-place trophy, as they were the only entrants in their age divisions as the deadline to enter neared.

According to Henry, Jim “recruited” Jack Valenti of Richmond and Russ Walkup of Lexington before the deadline passed and they then went on to sweep the titles.

In the 80 & Over Doubles division, Henry and Jim won 6-0, 6-0 over Valenti and Walkup. Then, Henry took on Walkup in the 80 & Over Singles division, where he also won by a score of 6-0, 6-0. Jim rounded out the brothers’ list of wins with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Valenti in the 75 & Over Singles division.

The Baughmans said that the recent wins should bump their rankings up to No. 1 in Kentucky’s senior tennis circuit, with Henry No.1 in 80 & Over Singles and Doubles and Jim No. 1 in 75 & Over Singles and 80 & Over Doubles.

Henry, who has been ranked No. 1 in Kentucky and No. 1 in the nine-state Southern Tennis Association numerous times with different partners, said he continues to play to maintain high rankings. Henry is often one of the top ranked players in the U.S Tennis Association, but he has not played enough national events to qualify for ranking this year.