Without any fuss or fanfare, Salmon Arm’s Bob Langford participated in the BNP Paribas Indian Wells Senior Cup in California where he won all nine matches, the best individual performance for his eight-member B.C. team.

That performance helped his B.C. squad, the only Canadian team, to win their division, defeating the Mesa, Arizona team.

The round-robin doubles event for players over 50 who play at a 4.5 level and above attracted teams from Arizona, California, Kansas and B.C.

The other seven members of the B.C. team were from the Lower Mainland and Langford was invited to play with them.

“He’s a very well-respected player, both provincially and nationally,” says fellow Salmon Arm Tennis Club member Winston Pain. “He’s known to be highly competitive and very respected, but he’s so humble about it he would never say it.”

Seven hundred players in the various divisions played in Indian Wells, getting to watch the professionals play the week before on some of the same courts. Indian Wells is known for hosting prestigious tennis events.

Langford was able to watch the final featuring Roger Federer, for instance, and the next day played on one of the courts at the professional tennis site.

“It was a phenomonal experience and then he ended up winning the event,” explains an enthusiastic Pain.