Barker's US doubles team tops France to claim third place

Ask Diane Barker where she’s played tennis in her illustrious career and she will sound like an atlas expert.

“Helsinki. New Zealand, France, Australia, South Africa, Germany and Florida,” she says. “Almost every country in Europe and every continent except the ones that get cold, and places like Greenland and Iceland.”

Her latest sojourn was to Helsinki, Finland last month to compete in the Maureen Connolly Cup at the ITF Senior World Team Championships. The tournament is the highest-ranked event on the ITF Seniors Circuit.

She was injured in her singles match, which was contested on a hardcourt surface, and couldn’t finish her match. But her United States team topped France in doubles to claim third place.

She suffered injuries to both of her calf muscles and one injury occurred in her singles match.

“I couldn’t finish my match,” she said. “I couldn’t even walk off the court.”

Barker is 58 and has played tennis for 49 years, with time off to have three babies. She plans to play as long as she is healthy. But she was at home on Daniel Island over the Fourth of July weekend, watching Wimbledon on television.

“You see the same unforced errors and you see how important that first serve is,” she said. “My husband also plays tennis and we were watching it together, saying, ‘That’s exactly what we do.’ But it’s at a much higher level, of course.”

Barker has an impressive list of accomplishments playing at a higher level.

She earned all-America status at the College of Charleston and owns seven world singles titles. She recently won the Women’s 55 national clay court championships.But she didn’t compete in the world individual championships, which were also held in Helsinki

Barker doesn’t plan to slow down.

“I move up to the 60s next year and can’t wait to get to the next age group,” she said. “But it’s all about injuries. As long as I am healthy, I’m playing.”