For most people, a trip to Las Vegas means losing money. Whether it’s craps, blackjack or the slots, the house usually wins. But for former University of South Alabama men’s tennis player Jack Baker, a trip to Las Vegas made him $100,000 richer.
Baker, a three-year letterwinner from 2006-08 and a member of back-to-back Sun Belt championship teams as a Jaguar, used his tennis skills to win the Hardbat Classic, a table tennis tournament that took place in June at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino® with a six-figure grand prize.
It all started as a light-hearted suggestion from former teammate Andy Pinkus to enter a local tournament at the Corner Bar in downtown Mobile. Baker won it and moved on to the city championship at another bar, Bojangles. By virtue of winning both, he earned a spot in the national tournament in Vegas.
“I didn’t go down there and take it too seriously,” said Baker. “I just went there with the attitude I was going to have a few beers and play. I ended up winning it. I just thought that it was for a trip to Vegas, I didn’t know it was for another tournament. When I found out I was pretty surprised.”
The Classic was set up for someone just like Baker to win. Professionals and amateurs competed against each other, with a handicap system in place to help even the field. Baker outlasted professional player Trevor Runyan in the semifinals and bested 73-year old Wayne Obertone in the championship.
Baker’s journey was chronicled on ESPN in a two-hour special that aired Oct. 4 and will be shown worldwide. WKRG-TV in Mobile also featured Baker on its newscast in July.
“When I was playing juniors I had some experience with newspapers and TV but nothing like this. I liked the way the interviews came out. If anything, I realized how much I hunch over and don’t stand up straight,” the Gravesend, Kent, United Kingdom native said, showing the dry sense of humor Britons are known for.
So how does winning that much money change you? For Baker, not all that much.
“I’m pretty laid back. For me, it’s funny because I never took it too seriously. But when I think about it, I made more money in one weekend playing ping-pong as I did my entire career playing tennis.
“I’m finishing my last two classes this semester and I have to do an internship in the spring. Hopefully I can do my internship in Baton Rouge because that’s where my girlfriend is going to be the next 2 ½ years. But I really do not know. Maybe coach tennis. I haven’t thought about it too much. I’ve always been a ‘live for today’ type of person.”
The rags-to-riches story was enhanced by the fact that Baker had to report back to campus the next day for class.
“I went from all of that Vegas stuff with the showgirls to sitting in class with Dr. Keshock. People were asking me what I was going to do, if I was going to play ping-pong again and I told them that I had to go to class.”
Winning a major ping pong tournament and being shown on national TV hasn’t turned him into a celebrity on campus.
“Dr. Keshock always jokes around with me because he knows about it. After it aired on Sunday I had a few people say something to me. A few people phoned me and I had a few more Facebook requests but nothing big.”
Emotionally he was spent after playing 17 matches in three days and rarely ventured outside his hotel during his stay. He was accompanied by his girlfriend Lindsay Moore, a student attending veterinary school at LSU.
“I felt bad for my girlfriend because she wanted to go shopping. I went out once for lunch and at night when I won the tournament. I wanted to go out and party but I had no energy. I just went to sleep. I woke up the next morning and went to the airport.”
Moore also served as his “coach” during his run. “If I had a timeout, I’d go over to her and talk about what we were doing for dinner.”
Upon winning the final point, Baker was in shock.
His parents’ reaction was similar: “My mom was in shock and my dad just laughed for about five minutes. They were both happy for me.”
Baker spent some on a nice car and saved sizeable portion, but also gave some to his parents, Mick Baker and Judith Hillier.
“They supported me through everything growing up,” said Baker. “They paid a lot of money for me to play as a junior and they supported me here as well.”
Baker played a vital role in the tennis team’s success during his three years in Mobile. The Jaguars won Sun Belt Championships in 2007 and 2008 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2008, defeating Alabama along the way.
He achieved national rankings of No. 9 in singles and No. 8 in doubles and reached the round of 32 as an individual in 2008, the highest finish by a South Alabama player since 2005.
As a junior he competed among the best in the world, earning a No. 27 ranking by the ITF and reached the finals of the Under-12 nationals in England, defeating current world-No. 3 Andy Murray in the semifinals. Among his other opponents as a teenager were six-time major winner Rafael Nadal, 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martín del Potro and Murray. His travels took him to over 50 countries and six of the seven continents.
His tennis expertise translated well to the ping pong table and the skills required for both go hand-in-hand.
“I had a table in my back yard growing up and would play against my brother. Every time I played in a tennis tournament they always had a table tennis table there for when you weren’t playing just to mess around and we have one in the locker room here. I used to watch the professional table tennis players and think ‘Oh, I could play with those guys,’ just joking around.”
Now that the dust has settled and it’s back to reality, Baker always has that one weekend to remember.
“I just like to play. The money is good but it will end up gone. I just like to have that memory for the rest of my life. I can always say that I was there and I did it. That’s what matters to me most.”
