GRAND CHAMPIONS TENNIS AT RANCHO SAN CLEMENTE : Lloyd Comes of Age, Advances to Final

Age is a touchy subject for many people.

But John Lloyd has been welcoming the added years since he retired from the Grand Prix tennis tour in 1986.

Lloyd craved to return to competition despite playing three short seasons with the Los Angeles Strings.

Now, at 35, he’s a rookie among the oldtimers at the 35-and-over Prudential Bache Grand Champions event at the Rancho San Clemente Tennis Club.

“I was really looking forward to getting to 35,” Lloyd said. “When I retired, I didn’t want to just drop off from being a professional tennis player.”

Saturday, Lloyd survived a tough challenge from Sandy Mayer in the singles semifinals to win, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, and advance to the final.

Lloyd will play Hank Pfister, who defeated Bob Lutz of San Clemente, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, at 1 p.m. today. In the five Grand Champions events in which he has played, this is the fourth time that Lloyd has made the finals. He has won two events.

Lloyd won the first set easily, but Mayer came back in the second. Mayer then went ahead, 2-0, in the third set when Lloyd double-faulted on break point.

Lloyd then broke Mayer’s serve to make it 2-1, but was down 15-40 in the next game before rallying to win the match with strong serves.

“From that point on, I felt like I was in charge,” Lloyd said.

Thirty minutes after defeating Mayer, Lloyd teamed with Dick Stockton in the doubles, losing to Kim Warwick and Sherwood Stewart, 6-1, 6-4. Warwick and Stewart will play Lutz and Mayer in the final.

For Lloyd, who resides in Pacific Palisades and coaches professional tennis players, the Grand Champions is a chance to continue playing competitively while picking up extra income. He also appreciates the low-key atmosphere at these events. The tennis and the behavior is distinctly old-style, said Lloyd, who was born in England.

It’s a throwback to the days when the players weren’t “bloody rude,” on the court, he said, and acted “the way they should.”