  |
John Lloyd on the Road, and At the Movies By James H. DeLorenzo [Originally published in the ATP Tour's International Tennis Magazine September/October 1997 issue.] For a man who just returned from a month in England, John Lloyd sounded pretty chipper. And it was early in the day, too - about 8 a.m. Pacific time. "I just got back last night," said Lloyd, a stalwart of the senior tennis circuit that includes the ATP Senior Tour of Champions in Europe (and the Nuveen Tour in the United States). "I played at the tournament in Nottingham (England), then worked at Wimbledon (for HBO), then coached at Davis Cup (for England), then took a week off with my family." It's a wonder Lloyd could mix in time for meals and sleep, but he's gotten used to it. "I'm traveling more now than I did when I was 20 years old," Lloyd, who turned 43 in August, said. "I was on the road last year for about 32 weeks, and this year looks to be quite a bit more." Lloyd's 1997 schedule will take him around the United States and around the world, to South Africa, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, the Caribbean. He'll be playing at some events, coaching England's Davis Cup team at some, and commentating for the BBC at others. "Neither my wife (Deborah) or I ever expected this much travel when we go married nine years ago," said Lloyd. "But it's not going to last forever." Lloyd's professional career, which began in 1971, has certainly lasted. By reaching the finals of the 1977 Australian Open, Lloyd became the first Englishman to reach a singles final of a Grand Slam in the Open Era. He reached his highest ranking in 1978 when he finished at #21. That year, Lloyd led an inspired British team to its most recent Davis Cup final where they were defeated by the U.S. During his career, Lloyd compiled three Grand Slam titles in mixed doubles, all with partner Wendy Turnbull, including back-to-back victories at Wimbledon in 1983 and 1984. He reached the singles quarterfinals at the '84 U.S. Open and the '85 Australian Open. Overall, Lloyd won one career singles title (Merion, 1974) and eight doubles crowns. At 6'0", 185 pounds, the righthanded Lloyd has found renewed success on the senior circuit. With the Nuveen Tour stateside, Lloyd has advanced to the singles semifinals in seven times, and to the finals twice. He is currently ranked in the top ten of the Nuveen Masters Point Standings, after finishing last season fourth overall (behind Jimmy Connors, Andres Gomez, Johan Kriek and John McEnroe). "The traveling is not always easy," Lloyd said, especially in light of his two young children (son Aiden is 8, daughter Hayley 6). "We tried to have a rule that I would never be away more than two weeks in a row, but it doesn't work. I even tried to fly back home for one day if I was playing a stretch of events on the East coast. But I found that it puts more tension in your life if you do it that way, and can make you more tired than you think. And if you're tired, it's a lot easier to get injured. "In fact, my wife encourages me not to try to fly home for the day anymore," continued Lloyd. "I talk to the kids by phone every day, and sometimes I get the chance to take the family with me. But we're trying to do the best we can. It's not as tough on me as it is for them, because I've been doing this for a long time." For Lloyd, there's no place like home, and for this transplanted British champion, home is in Pacific Palisades, CA. "I love being in the States, and I like playing in the States, too," Lloyd said. "It's fun to be overseas, I certainly look forward to Australia, South Africa is fascinating, and Tokyo is fun. But I've been to many of these places so many times, for a lot of years. " One thing that Lloyd continues to find entertaining is the movies. Lloyd's love of film dates back to his childhood in Leigh-on-Sea, England. "I can't be sure of the first movie I saw," said Lloyd. "My father was very keen on films, and he watched them a lot at home. We'd go out for a matinee sometimes. I really enjoyed sitting there with him and watching them. I remember a lot of black and white movies, war movies, westerns. "I can remember seeing this slapstick comedian, Norman Wisdom," Lloyd recalled. "He was an underrated genius, sort of the British Jim Carrey of that time. I can remember my dad laughing so loud, people would tell him to shush. And there was this one, the original 'The Lost World' (based on the Arthur Conan Doyle story) with Michael Rennie. It was a fascinating period for me. "In England then, you saw two films, the 'A' and the 'B'," said Lloyd. "You'd spend two or three hours at the movies. That was my idea of bliss, and I loved doing that on rainy Saturdays. In England, we got a lot of rainy Saturdays. "I still follow the movies a lot. I've got quite a few friends in the business, and I've been out to watch them film a couple times. I find it fascinating, and I think it's a very difficult business that people don't appreciate." Lloyd's travels do not prevent him from catching up with the movies. He brings videotapes with him on the road, and he can often be found in a nearby theatre. In fact, fresh off his month in England, Lloyd already had plans to catch up with the summer movies. "I enjoy going on my own, and don't like a lot of conversation when the show is on," Lloyd said. "I like action films, and my wife doesn't particularly care for them, so I plan on seeing the new Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson movies. And, of course, I want to take the kids to see 'George of the Jungle' and 'Hercules.'" While Lloyd's travels have led him to his love of (and residence in) the United States, his affection for specific movies is a little harder to pin down. "My top two all time would be the first two 'Godfather' movies," said Lloyd. "I doubt that I'll ever see anything as good as that again in my lifetime. They were the ultimate, the best. "After that, it's tough to say," Lloyd continued. "I loved 'Schindler's List,', 'Being There' with Peter Sellers. Peter Sellers is one of my favorites, by the way. 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' 'Psycho.' I'm a big John Wayne fan, but it's tough to pick one movie from him, although I'll say 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.' "Another one of my favorites is Steve McQueen, but again, it's tough to pick his best. I'll always watch 'The Thomas Crown Affair,' with McQueen and Faye Dunaway." Lloyd's movie picks are classics, as is his tennis career. It's safe to bet that no matter where in the world Lloyd travels, if he's not on the tennis courts, he'll be in the movies. "With a bag of popcorn and some diet soda," he added.
|
|
| ||