PRATT: Jeff and Son Andrew Lee Ready For Super Sectional Action In Wheelchair Division

Playing doubles with your son in a sanctioned Sectional tennis match is not a new concept, they’ve being doing it for years in events like the USTA National Father-Son Tournament.

Now facing your son across the net from you in a tournament in singles is something that is a little bit more unique. But there’s a chance that might take place this weekend at the first Super Senior Sectionals taking place this weekend at Orange County Great Park in Irvine.

Fifty-four year-old San Diego County resident Jeff Lee and his 21-year-old son Andrew are competing in the Men’s Open Wheelchair Division. If Jeff can get past SoCal Open stalwart Anthony Lara, and Andrew does the same in his match, the two would face each other.

Andrew and father Jeff Lee, in a photo taken a few years ago, will play doubles together in this weekend’s USTA SoCal Super Sectional Men’s Open Wheelchair division.

“I have never faced my son in a tournament, but it could happen,” said Andrew, who has been playing wheelchair tennis for the past six years. “It’s always great to be able to play doubles with your son. It’s actually his fault I got into wheelchair tennis.

Andrew, who like his father suffers from a genetic tissue disorder, was an active wheelchair basketball player growing up. But turned to tennis when his parents felt basketball was getting too physical. Andrew currently plays on the San Diego State Wheelchair Tennis team.

“It will be great father son bonding time and it will be fun competing against him because I’ve never competed against him in a tournament before,” Andrew said.

Besides the Wheelchair divisions, action began Thursday and Friday and continues over the weekend in Age Divisions (65s and up and 60s and lower), NTRP Divisions and Family Divisions.

Jeff, who was born in New Orleans, is the head of IT for a large company in San Diego. He ruptured a biceps tendon in August of 2018 and is just getting back on the court.

As far as who is the biggest competitor, he or his son Andrew, the answer has changed over the years. “I’m not sure who’s worse right now,” Jeff said. “I think he’s more of a competitor than I am but if you would have asked me that question a couple of years ago I would have probably said me.”