The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LAST year, Justin Lunn had projected that he was just waiting on his breakthrough to play on the Bahamas Davis Cup Team. Over the weekend, the player born with a birth defect in his right arm realised that dreams do come true.

Lunn, 25, was off to a great start in the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s Giorgio Baldacci National Open in December at the National Tennis Centre where he advanced to the semi-final.

However, he was unable to play after coming down with the flu. He felt his opportunity to make the team was over. But as fate would have it, he was invited to fill the fourth and final spot that Kevin Major Jr left void.

As the American Zone II tie against Venezuela got started over the weekend, Lunn was scheduled to play doubles with player/captain Marvin Rolle on Saturday at the Doral Park Country Club in Miami, Florida.

But after the Bahamas fell behind 2-0 in the opening singles on Friday, a decision was made by the team for Rolle to team up with Spencer Newman in their bid to stay alive.

Rolle and Baker eventually lost and subsequently the Bahamas was beaten 3-0 by Venezuela to clinch the tie.

That left the reserve singles where Lunn got his opportunity to display his skills as the latest addition to the team, replacing Kevin Major Jr, who was unable to make the trip because of school commitments. “It was an amazing feeling. I was just a little bit nervous because you have the whole team on your back and you want to make everybody happy,” Lunn said.

“But overall, it felt good having the team and the fans pushing you. I didn’t want to give up on any balls. It was a great feeling. I loved it.”

Lunn obviously was a little nervous, as he lost to Ricardo Rodriquez 6-0, 6-2. Despite the outcome, Lunn said he was encouraged by his comeback in the second set after the dismal first set.

With his mother, Joan Lunn and aunty Corline Daniels among the group of Bahamians in the stands cheering him on, Lunn said he was even more encouraged to play because this was their first time watching him play in an major international event.

“I wished my dad (Keith Lunn) was here, but he had to work. Somebody has to pay the bills,” Lunn said. “But this year, I made a promise to them that by November, I should have some ATP points and everything will be fine.”

Throughout the match, Lunn said he got a lot of stares from the spectators who have never seen a player of his calibre perform and that even inspired him more.

“It’s amazing that not many people can see people like me do it on the court,” said Lunn, who has a beehive of the spectators coming over for him autograph and photo taking session after his match.

“They never seen a player like me hitting the ball like a regular player, going for the big winner and serving the ball. It was a great feeling. I’m glad that they gave me a chance to play so that I can show them that anything is possible.”

Lunn was born with Erb’s palsy, a form of obstetric brachial plexus disorder. It is an injury that occurs when the nerves in a baby’s upper arm are damaged.  The defeat affected his right arm, which is shorter than the left. But surprisingly, Lunn perfects to be called right hand than a lefty because he has a lot of confidence in it.

Taking the words from Larry Rolle, who advised Lunn to “nail the coffin shut” before he left Nassau with the team, his mom said she was particularly pleased to see how he handled the pressure.

 “Awesome,” was the word that she used to describe her son’s ability to perform under his circumstances. “God knows what he is doing. God gave him a left hand, which is an advantage in tennis.

“There is no mistake in God. So it’s just a matter of Justin getting to that level to be able to properly strategise and with a new coach, he will get to that level.”

This weekend, Lunn will be back on the court in Orlando, Florida in a Futures Tournament. The match, according to Lunn, has helped to prepare him for the tournament.

David Russell, a former professional tennis player from Jamaica, who just moved into coaching, has been working with Lunn for the past few months and he’s confident that his former training partner will only get better.

“He looked good. A lot of these guys they played against have been in the system for so long, so we’re going to work on Justin’s weaknesses so that he can get him game more complete so when he goes on the court he can start beating some of these guys.”

According to Russell, Lunn is an exceptional player.

“I know what Justin is capable of,” he said. “I saw a lot of turnaround in his game and this is just the beginning. I feel once he can get in the exposure, he can play at the highest level of this game. That’s what we’re going to be working on with him.”

His mom said they are eager to see the progress that their son will make under Russell this year. She said the whole family and their church are and will continue to pray for his success.

She said before he died, the late Pastor Myles Munroe at a service at Bahamas Faith Ministries where they worshiped at the time, predicted to Lunn that he will “succeed the great Mark Knowles.”

It’s a tall order, but when you have a player like Lunn who has defied all odds and is playing at a professional level, anything is possible.