To call Jim Talman a super senior would certainly be appropriate, even though he reached that age group decades ago.

Talman, 92, is the fourth-ranked singles player nationally in the 90-and-over age group, according to the United States Tennis Association's most recent rankings, and he's showing no signs of slowing down.

Last weekend, the Sewickley resident embarked on a cross-country road trip to Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif. There, he will once again compete in the US National Hard Court Championships, one of the USTA's four national events for that age group, which begins this Monday.

But win or lose in the tournament, Talman is doing something outstanding by continuing to compete at the sport he's played since he was eight years old.

"The quality of tennis deteriorates, but it's the healthiest group of men you'll encounter," Talman said of the 21-player field. "To play tennis, you have to stay pretty healthy."

"They say that if you get regular exercise, it helps a lot. Well I certainly have played regularly."

Tennis has always been a part of Talman's life, from his upbringing in Detroit, to his college days at the University of Michigan, through his adult life in California, where he built airplane hangars for private planes before moving into resort management.

One of his first brushes with tennis greatness came in high school, when he had a chance to see and play with one of the game's early greats in person.

"Bill Tilden came to Detroit and played an exhibition, and I called one of the lines for him," Talman said.

"After the match, he asked if I'd like to hit with him. He was a remarkable player."

After playing with the seven-time U.S. Championship singles winner and three-time Wimbledon singles champ, Talman qualified for the National Junior Championships himself, at age 18.

Instead of competing, Talman travelled to England with his family for the summer, where he had the chance to take in matches at Wimbledon, including the championship run of U.S. doubles pair George Lott and Lester Stoefen in the summer of 1934.

"I've seen all the prominent players throughout my life, and I've been fortunate to play with some," Talman said.

Through the years, Talman has also shared a court with players like Pancho Gonzalez and Bobby Riggs in the higher age brackets, giving him a list of opponents comparable to some professionals.

But even though he now plays in the highest singles age group offered by the USTA, Talman and his opponents are still playing to win.

"It's certainly still competitive," he said. "The No. 1 and No. 2 players in the division are both California men who I've played many times and they beat me, regularly."

"It's a question of getting as far as I can, depending on the luck of the draw."

Last year, Talman reached the quarterfinals of the Hard Court Championships before losing, one step short of his top finish, a semifinal appearance.

This year, the draw was unkind to Talman, who will face a newcomer to the competition, Al Brennan, in the opening round. From there, the winner advances to face the No. 1 seed, Alex Swetka, in the round of 16.

A loss there wouldn't end Talman's tournament, as he also competes in doubles with Tracy Strong of Meridian, Idaho. Their team is ranked seventh nationally for the age group.

"He was a school superintendent in Orange, Calif., and I met him playing in these tournaments," Talman said. "His partner had health problems and had to quit, and my partner thought he could find a better partner for himself."

"We've played together for eight or nine years now, and we are going to continue to play together as long as we're both able."

After staying on the west coast for a month to play in the Indoor Court Championships in Vancouver, Wash., Talman will return to Sewickley, where he lives with his daughter, Christine, and her husband, Dr. Howard Cohen.

"Her husband is a cardiologist, which is good to have nearby at my age," Talman quipped.

Fortunately, Talman hasn't needed the services of his son-in-law. In fact, other than requiring knee surgery in the past, he's been a model of excellent health.

But that shouldn't surprise anybody. After all, he is the No. 4 singles player in the country.