The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Day one of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Giorgio Baldacci Open Challenge Tennis Tournament was highlighted by the performances of the top two players in the men’s singles draw.

After a delayed start due to wet courts at the National Tennis Centre, the top four seeds, including No.1 Devin Mullings and No.2 Kevin Major Jr, held true to form as they dominated en route to the next round.

Third seeded Jamal Adderley won 6-0, 6-0 over Edward Symonette and fourth seeded Marvin Rolle won 6-2, 6-3 over Robert Lightbourne.

Mullings, the defending champion in the event, got out to a quick start as expected against Joshua Turnquest with a 6-0, 6-1 win in round one.

The 28-year-old former Olympian said he feels closer to the top form he achieved prior to undergoing hip surgery in 2011.

At last year’s tournament, Mullings said he played at about 75-80 per cent but appears a bit more mobile as he prepares to keep up with the youthful players in the draw.

“I lost some weight, I don’t really have that much pain in my hip, so I’m moving a lot better on the court,” he said. “Movement is key in the game. If you can’t move, you’re not going to be successful in the game so I’m happy that I’m moving a lot better.

He said he relishes the opportunity to compete against the Bahamas’ rising stars on the court, including the 14-year-old Turnquest, who Mullings sees as a “special player” in the very near future.

“Joshua, he’s only 14, but he’s a big kid, very athletic and I think he has a lot of potential. I just told him to keep playing, keep his head up and he’ll be a nice player with the right guidance,” he said. “It’s always good to see the new guys playing and to see the progress in Bahamian tennis. So it’s a good experience. I had a good time out there playing and I think he [Turnquest] will be a special player once he keeps working. I think he has a lot of physical skills that will make him a good player.”

While the tournament honoured Baldacci with the name change in 2012, it was the 11th consecutive year that Mullings has topped the event, which traditionally features a field of the Bahamas’ young tennis players who come home from the pro circuit and the various tennis academies throughout the United States.

In the bottom half of the draw, Major also advanced to the quarterfinal in straight sets, 7-5, 6-0 over Rodney Carey Jr. “In the first set I was pretty relaxed, then I got broken and that really made me start to dial into the match. I was able to take control and cut out the loose errors and I was able to keep the ball in play and put some points on the board,” Major said. “I’ll have to continue working on keeping the ball in and staying steady, once I continue to improve on those things I should be fine for the rest of the tournament.”

In 2012, Major lost in the semifinal to Mullings, 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4, but expects a different result this year.

“Once I make it to the championship, all it is is playing my game,” he said. “Once I play my pace and play my game I shouldn’t have any problems.”

In other matches in the men’s singles draw, Jody Turnquest defeated Kevaughn Ferguson 6-2, 6-0, Shannon Francis beat Dirnaj Saunders 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, William Fountain took care of Ceron Rolle 6-3, 7-5 and Justin Lunn got the victory over Jyles Turnquest 6-1, 6-1.

The tournament is slated to continue 9am today at the BLTA’s National Tennis Centre. SEE THE FULL SCHEDULE ON A16