While the action inside the stadium court at the Pilot Pen tennis tournament at Yale will feature some of the world's top tennis players, the action on the outside courts will be a family affair. Father and son duo Michael and Alex Lord of Wilton are two of just 16 parent and child teams to qualify for the Pilot Pen Tennis Family Classic out of more than 5,000 entrants from all over the Northeast. The chance to play together at an event like Pilot Pen is an experience that neither is likely to forget.
"It's fantastic I'm going to be able to share that experience with my son," Michael Lord said. "It's fun to talk on the court about strategy and nuances because now at 14 years of age, he gets it."
"He keeps me positive, so I don't get down on myself," Alex said of his dad. "It's good to play with him."
"I think he'd rather play with his buds," Michael quipped back with a grin. "We only get to play together a few times a summer, so this is great."
The Lords, who play out of Four Seasons Racquet Club, battled through six doubles teams in the regionals and four more in the sectionals in New Haven to qualify for Pilot Pen. Alex, who will be a freshman at Wilton High this fall, played on the Four Seasons junior team that made its regional tournament. For now, though, they are focusing on playing together on the big stage at Yale.
"This is a great way for people at a local level to be able to play at a big event like Pilot Pen," Michael said. "What's really exciting is, whether we win or we lose, we still get to be a part of the trophy presentation on the center court."
The Family Classic features eight matches of different parent-child combinations in various age groups. Michael and Alex Lord take on Rajiv and Karan Narula of Wappnigers Falls, N.Y., Thursday at 4 p.m.
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