PhilTENNIS salutes the dashing and peripatetic Jean Henri Lhuillier, President of the PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies.  Lhuillier has extended his own unabashedly generous brand of support for Philippine tennis, providing an example to be emulated by other enthusiasts of the sport.  In recent months, he has played the following roles to the hilt as the leading patron of Philippine tennis.

• 2008 Philippine Davis Cup Team Manager who provided support, through Phiten Philippines and the PJ Lhuillier Group, to the country’s tennis gladiators against the Kazakhs in the Asia-Oceania Zone Davis Cup Tie held on September 19-21, 2008 in Astana City, Kazakhstan
• Presenter of the November 2008 Cebuana Lhuillier-PCA Open Tennis Championships (Philippine Columbian Open 2008) who put up the total prize money of P500,000, a marked increment over previous stagings of the tournament, of which P100,000 went to the Men’s Singles winner, and P50,000 to the Women's Singles champ
• Team Manager and Player of the Cebuana Lhuillier - Le Soleil de Boracay Tennis Team that finished second overall out of 11 teams that competed at the 2008 Amazing Tempo Southeast Asian Invitational Team Tennis, which was held from October 16 to 19, 2008 in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

PT: When did you start playing tennis? Where? Who coached you?

JHL: I played at the Polo Club starting around 9 or 10, at the Willie Hernandez camps.

I then went to the U.S.A. and played high school tennis and made the Bay Area Conference first team in 1988, then went on to play Division One tennis at Saint Mary's College of California for two years—freshman and sophomore years.  This league was the West Coast Conference (WCC); my freshman team went 22-3, one of the best in the school’s history.

I learned from Willie Hernandez and Dave Ott (Coach, U.S.A.).

PT: Was there any other sport you played?

JHL: I did Varsity in soccer, basketball, tennis and baseball

PT: What did you like about tennis?

JHL: Tennis is a sport that can be played socially and competitively.

PT: Was there a time when you stopped playing?

JHL: Yes, for a while after my sophomore year I stopped playing tennis; I just wanted to focus on college life and other things. I then took it up after around four years again sometime in 1994.

PT: When did you become CEO of your company?

JHL: I was given the post due to my dedication for excellence.

PT: How often do you play?

JHL: I currently play three to four times a week and mostly doubles now.

PT: Does your wife mind?

JHL: My wife and kids also play my wife been playing for around two years now and my 8- and 5- year old boys play.

PT: When did you start supporting tennis as a sponsor?

JHL: 1994, I helped set up a national men's event; plain and simple, the sport needed support in the Philippines. I have continued from then to supporting clinics, athletes, tournaments—all levels/types, kids, club, junior and the pro—been team manager for the Davis Cup teams and SEA Games teams.

PT: Your assessment of Philippine tennis.

JHL: (Then and now) we have a long way to go, both from a grassroots developmental program to setting up a large number of pro tournaments.

PT: What problems does Philippine tennis face?

JHL: More support (!!!) is needed from the private sector!

PT: What are your initiatives for Philippines tennis?

JHL: I will still continue to support tennis in any small or large scale way; hopefully others will follow and support this great sport where we can excel in a global standard.

PT: What lessons did you learn from tennis?

JHL: Sports really makes you veer away from doing things that you shouldn't be doing when growing up; it keeps one busy and fit.

PT: Who are your favorite tennis players? And why?

JHL: Yannick Noah.  His game had a lot of flair and showed great charisma on the court.

PT: Any tennis stories you won't forget?

JHL: Not really, I am still making those stories.  See you on the court!  Hopefully those stories will come from my wife and I watching our kids play the sport!

- By Jojo Gonzales

Photo:  Jean Henri Lhuillier, flanked by Project Chairman Jonathan Navea and NCAF Research/Media Relations head Edith Buenaventura, receives the Young Professional Award (YPA) for Business and Sports in recognition of his achievements and contributions in the pawn broking industry and youth sports development.  This award was conferred by the 2005 Year-Ender Excellence Awards Committee and the National Consumer Affairs Foundation (NCAF)