Catching Up With: Hank Lloyd

Richard Dunn

Hank Lloyd, who has revived the Costa Mesa Tennis Center since

taking over as operator of the public facility in early 1998, is bringing

professional tennis to Costa Mesa for the first time in November.

Albeit the minor leagues of the men’s tour, the United States Tennis

Association satellite and Futures circuits are steppingstones to the big

boys on the Association of Tennis Professional Tour.

For example, Newport Beach’s Taylor Dent, 20, played the satellite and

future tours for about three years, until he cracked the big tour this

year.

Officially, Dent is ranked too high (top 120 in the world) to play in

the $15,000 USTA Costa Mesa Pro Futures Tournament Nov. 9-18, but Lloyd

might be able to squeeze him into doubles with his son, Tom, who will

receive a wild card into the event.

Dent and Tom Lloyd, the captain and No. 2 singles player at the

University of Arizona, played doubles together for several years in

juniors.

Geoff Abrams (Newport Harbor High), the former Stanford All-American,

said last week he intends to play in the Costa Mesa Futures Tour event,

the first of three in a row in Southern California.

Lloyd, head coach of the USTA-sanctioned Orange County Area Training

Center, is a longtime supporter of youth tennis and the grass-roots

development of the game through public parks.

“The Orange County development program (for players aged 10-12) is for

kids going on to the next level,” Lloyd said. “We’ve made it pretty

active in Orange County.”

Since Lloyd’s arrival at Costa Mesa Tennis Center as concessionaire,

the club has also hosted qualifying rounds for the USTA Laguna Niguel

Futures event.

This year, the Costa Mesa stop, which will benefit the Orange County

Community Tennis Association, will precede USTA Futures events in Malibu

and Laguna Niguel.

Lloyd, a former Sunny Hills High and San Jose State standout who

played on the pro circuit for about five years, has been a teaching pro

since 1978 and owner of five full-volume tennis shops in Orange County

since opening his first in Anaheim in 1983.

A head pro at Anaheim Hills Racquet Club for six years, before

starting his own retail enterprise.

“We were just getting out of wooden rackets at that time,” said Lloyd,

who has tennis shops in Fullerton, Capistrano Beach, Tustin, Escondido

and Costa Mesa.

Qualifying for the upcoming Costa Mesa Futures event of 128 players

will be Nov. 9-12 in singles and doubles, with the main draw scheduled to

begin Nov. 13. Details: (714)557-0211.