Dennis, at 91 summers long and counting, along with his long standing doubles partner Jerry Ells (92), have been participating in the USTA Mens’ Hard Court Championships, held at the prestigious Morgan Run Resort in San Diego.
The tournament is open to anyone over 75 and still drawing breath, with a special series of matches known as ‘The Lurie World Cup.’ This competition, played out between the USA and The Rest of the World, is the brainchild of New Yorker, Bill Lurie. Lurie (97), a tennis nut who made his money from the Sober Living Homes programme in the United States and who only retired from competitive play last year, pays all the expenses of the 16 participants in this monumental battle of the 90 year olds.
Singles as well as doubles are played by all competitors and in the heat of an early Californian summer a high degree of fitness and stamina is required from the players who come from all over the world to take part.
Dennis has been playing tennis since he was a boy and still plays twice a week at his club in Grantham, Lincolnshire, where in 2008 he was made Honorary Life President.
He puts his longevity on the court down to his years working for the Bank of India in East Africa where he used his mind and not his body to earn a crust, conserving long term energy for all the running around he still has to do.
The all expenses trip is just one of many invites Dennis gets to play abroad and around the UK and he shows no signs of letting up with the National Veterans Finals at Wimbledon in late August and of course the all important, Grantham Tennis Club Championships later in September.