Vim, vigor and victory

sutherland featureThat’s merely part of what keeps senior tennis companions faithful to their routine doubles matches twice a week.On Tuesday and Thursday mornings -- while college students make their way into lecture halls, professionals head into the workplace and children begin their school day -- 87-year-old Lori Sutherland is just as busy, scrambling to gather athletes together as she has done for the past 10 years.

At 8:30 a.m., Sutherland and seven others ranging from 60 to 88 years old play a round-robin of doubles tennis at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club.

When members of the group go on vacation, Sutherland is in charge of drafting replacements, so they can continue their decade-long tradition.

Even when the rain comes, Sutherland and her group still show up, squeegees in hand.

“Nothing stops us,” she said.

Sutherland, also a weekly bridge player, said the group is what keeps her breathing. It’s what gets her out of bed. Every day, before going out to the courts, she eats her wheat cereal and banana and sets out to dominate her competition.

Her partner and Bayside Village neighbor, Chuck Crone, claims that with his ability to run and her court sense, the duo claims a victory nine out of 10 times.

But, of course, it’s not all about winning.

“We’re out there to have fun -- to get a good start on the day,” said the 75-year-old Crone. “It gives us something to look forward to, companionship and camaraderie.”

After about an hour of tennis, the group moves on to their chat room. But this chat room has nothing to do with web pages. It’s simply eight friends in a lodge sipping coffee, snacking on doughnuts and telling jokes.

Bob Hope jokes, political jokes, even “naughty jokes,” said Sutherland. “You know, the X-rated kind.”

“It’s a very compatible group,” said Bill Daughaday, the group’s oldest player at 88. “We enjoy each others company and we enjoy the sport.”

With her short red hair, Sutherland -- described by Crone as a “spitting image of Lucille Ball” -- began the group after the death of her husband. Sutherland said the loss was so terrible, she had to keep herself going by playing tennis, a sport she and her husband had taken up.

The weekly custom originated at the Corona del Mar High courts, where Sutherland would play with three others on Saturdays and Sundays.

In order to keep the group going, she put herself in charge of making sure eight players would show up every day they met.