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JAMES SAUNDERS - INDUCTEE #48

hall of fame fast fact:

James Saunders had an invitation to play in the French Open in 1951, but he couldn't go because he was recovering from an auto accident. He would have gone if he could have, according to daughter Shanna Gheen. Instead, he went back to UT and that's when he met a fellow student, Shirley Sims of Port Arthur, who became his wife.

James Saunders

James Saunders, the first tennis player inducted into the PSHOF, reached the state high school singles semifinals while at Amarillo High School, qualified for the U.S. Junior Davis Cup team, won the state junior college singles championship playing for Amarillo College (1948), and was a three-year letterman and captain on the University of Texas’ Southwest Conference championship teams in 1950, 1952, and 1953.

Saunders had a backhand that was by far his biggest weapon; he initially played No. 2 at Texas, but an automobile accident set him back a year. Saunders had an invitation to play in the French Open in 1951, but couldn’t because he was recovering from the auto accident.

In Fort Worth, he hooked up with Tony Douphinot to win several doubles championships at Colonial Country Club.

Saunders died in Fort Worth in 1994, four days short of his 65th birthday.