The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER sitting out the past year to recover from a hip injury, Grand Bahamian Devin Mullings is back. And he is hoping to make a contribution to the men's Davis Cup team when they travel to Trinidad & Tobago in June. Mullings, who underwent surgery at Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale on October 12 to remake his hip, said he's feeling good. "My mom gave me a full body shower the second day (I got out of the hospital), the first time since I was like five (years old)," Mullings said. "It was tough. I couldn't walk for some time. "I was restricted to weight bearing, full weight bearing on my left leg for about 10 weeks. Then I was allowed to be on crutches. But I wasn't allowed to walk on my own until December." Now, he's running again and doing a lot of agility work. "I was just hitting with Nikkita (Fountain) and Larikah (Russell) trying to get them ready for their match," said Mullings during an interview when he was in New Providence last week. "I think I will be back to regular things give or take two months, according to the doctor. But I'm hitting the ball well even though I wasn't playing." The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association has yet to name the team for the Davis Cup - the event is slated to start on June 18 - which is expected to be considered from the performances of the December Invitational. But having being exempted from the tournament because of the injury, Mullings said there's no reason why he should not be selected, especially since he has never been beaten in the event designed for the top local, collegiate and professional players. "I'm looking forward to playing Davis Cup this summer. I will be well-prepared for that," said Mullings, who has compiled the best winning percentage of all of the players available for the national team. "Prior to that, I want to play a series of tournaments. I also want to come back home and work with some of the kids here on their game and inform them of what preventative steps that they can take so they don't end up like me." Mullings, who turns 27 on October 4, has a 17-14 singles win-loss record and 4-7 in doubles for a 21-21 record since he played in his first tie in 2002. Having spent a considerable time learning about more of his physical fitness, Mullings said he's eager to pass on as much knowledge as he can. But right now, he's more anxious to get back on the court and play again. "I've been helping some other guys, giving them some tips to improve their game," he said. "Not being able to play, I think that has helped me as I wait to play again. I'm trying to analyze their games and, so mentally, I have been taking it all in, making sure that I'm learning as much as I can about my game as well." By the time he gets back at full strength, Mullings said he hopes that there will be a men's version of the Bahamas Women's Open where he and the other local players can get the opportunity to display their skills before the home crowd. "I think it's good for tennis in the Bahamas. I think we need to work on this and do our best to keep it here," he said. "We need to keep these people happy because tournaments like these will only help to further enhance the sport." Notes: When the Davis Cup is held, the Bahamas will be one of the 10 nations divided into two pools. The other countries are Aruba, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and the US Virgin Islands. The top nation in each pool plays off against the runner-up in other pools, with two winning nations promoted to Americas Zone Group II for 2013. The Americas Zone Group IV has now been merged with Group III, so there will be no relegation for 2013.