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Earning respect

When he was a senior at Esperanza High School in Yorba Linda, Calif., Tom Lloyd was a dominating tennis player. For three years, he was the top singles player for his high school team.

Before his senior season, however, Lloyd quit the team.

It is a decision that the current UA freshman does not regret.

"It wasn't good enough competition," Lloyd said.

Without high school tennis, Lloyd continued to train and practice on his own, aiming at his goal of playing collegiate tennis. After his senior year in high school, Lloyd was deciding between Fresno State, San Diego and Tulane.

However, each of these schools failed to show adequate interest in him, which opened the door for Arizona

Playing for the Wildcats had never entered Lloyd's mind until he met head coach Bill Wright. Playing in the annual Copper Bowl tournament in Tucson last summer, Wright followed Lloyd through the tournament. It was Lloyd's major court strengths that caught Wright's eye.

"I was real impressed," Wright said. "He has a solid ground stroke and a good feel for the ball."

Afterwards, Wright sat down with Lloyd and explained what Arizona had to offer him.

"He told what he had to offer and it was cut and dry, instead of the others (schools)," Lloyd said. "I wanted to sign the next day."

Signing with Arizona, Lloyd began the long road to getting into the lineup..

Lloyd, who is the shortest member of the team at 5-feet 7-inches, was quickly dubbed "Smurf."

The nickname is misleading, though, as his teammates soon discovered.

One day after practice junior Brian Jackson and Lloyd were trying to hit serves past each other and Lloyd hit a rocket Jackson won't soon forget.

"Tom ripped one around 120 miles per hour," Jackson said. "I looked at him and his expression didn't change. He just looked at me and said, 'Not bad for a smurf.'"

Being the youngest player on the team, Lloyd had a lot to prove to both his teammates and the coaching staff. At the start of the year, Lloyd showed up for practice, where he would hold intense workouts and then leave.

"At the beginning, they (the team) were like, 'What's he thinking?'" Lloyd said.

With Lloyd's workout schedule, hunger for improvement and ability to always play up to his potential, the rest of the team gradually adapted to his style.

"He has this environment that radiates off of him to make everyone work harder," junior Brain Jackson said.

The coaching staff also began to notice Lloyd and his strong work ethic.

"He has a tremendous desire to win,'" assistant coach Bob Helmig said.

Cracking the lineup in the middle of the season, Lloyd has come a long way in his first year at Arizona.

Working his way into the lineup and now rotating in between the four, five and six positions, Lloyd enjoys the closeness of the team, which is ranked No. 44 in the nation and tied for fourth in the Pacific 10 Conference.

"They're all really good guys and good friends," Lloyd said.

On a team with nine upper classmen, though, Lloyd is viewed as a rookie, which often means he is counted on to do the grunt work.

"If there was an extra bag in the airport, I'd get it because I was the freshman. (If) someone forgot something in the car, I was the one to get it," Lloyd said

His work - on the tennis court and with the luggage - has not gone unnoticed.

"He is probably one of the most respected guys on the team," Jackson said.

In deciding to play for the Wildcats, Lloyd continued his life-long tennis career. Growing up in a tennis family, his father, Hank, played professionally and was on the professional tennis tour.

The elder Lloyd's career took him to every major event in tennis, except for the U.S. Open. After he retired from the tour, Hank Lloyd started a family, opened a tennis equipment shop that has since expanded to three stores and began teaching lessons at a professional teaching club. With his father's influence, it's no surprise the younger Lloyd picked up the game at the age of 5.

With this strong background and the intensity Lloyd shows during practice and matches, Lloyd's teammates are excited to see how much potential Lloyd will exploit in his upcoming years at the UA.

"He will definitely improve his mental game," junior Alex Aybar said. "Next year, he'll improve so much more by getting experience (this year)."

Jackson agrees.

"With his work ethic and mental mind, he can go anywhere," Jackson said.