The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IN AN effort to honour the greatest name in Bahamian sports while simultaneously bridging the gap to the youngest generation of budding tennis stars, the BLTA will begin the first of many accolades for Mark Knowles this weekend.

Knowles is scheduled to return home 2:30pm Friday and the BLTA intends to roll out the red carpet for his distinguished 20-plus years on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) men’s circuit.

The association plans for the general public to welcome Knowles at the Lynden Pindling International Airport, where the former world no.1 doubles player will sign autographs and be presented with a special commemorative booklet documenting his career.

Immediately following the reception, Knowles will break ground at the National Tennis Center at the site where the “Play and Stay” courts will be constructed.

“The mini-tennis center will be the future home for Bahamian kids as more and more of them become attracted to the game,” Donaldson said. “We are the second country in the region to have it, and this will be just the the beginning of further celebrations for his career.”

Knowles, 41, officially retired from the ITF in August after he and Xavier Malisse got eliminated in the first round of the US Open men’s doubles in Flushing Meadows, New York.

The 6-foot, 3-inch right-hander, who turned pro in 1992, has won all four Grand Slam titles - US Open, Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open - either in doubles or mixed doubles.

Having started playing tennis at the age of four under the supervision of his parents Sammy Knowles and Vickie Andrews, before he was invited to train at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Donaldson said it’s the ideal situation to name the mini- tennis courts in Knowles’ name.

The “Play and Stay” Programme represents a global shift in the rules governing youth tennis and is expected to have a direct impact on the development of the game locally, bringing a wider cross section of newcomers to the sport.

The new initiative features smaller racquets, smaller courts, and slower balls tailored to the skills of beginning tennis players.

Other rule changes to the game will include a one match tiebreak to 7 or 10, best-of-three match tiebreaks to seven, one short set (first to four games), best of three short sets (also first to four games), tiebreak instead of a third set and no ad scoring (play one game point at deuce).

Beginning in January, it will be mandatory for competition for players aged 10-and-under to be played with slower red, orange and green balls on the appropriate sized courts, while the traditional yellow ball will no longer be permitted for 10-and-under competition.

According to Donaldson, the programme will strengthen the feeder system of the Bahamas’ junior development programme.

“This will be the ticket to strengthening and developing an already strong junior development programme. In this format, tennis is at its easiest to learn, it’s inexpensive, can be played on a wide variety of surfaces so we can target an even greater number of kids and get them into the sport as fast as possible,” he said.

“The goal is to bring them into the sport, have them experience relative success rather quickly and make the game as interesting and attractive as possible to them at a young age. If we can bring about 50 kids to each free outing of mini-tennis we host, there may be about 10-15 natural talents in that crowd that will stick with the game, hence the ‘Play and Stay’ theme coined by the ITF.”

Knowles’ Career

Milestones include:

• Three-time men’s doubles Grand Slam champion

• Achieved No. 1 ranking in doubles in 2002

• Five-time Olympian for the Bahamas (‘92, ‘96, ‘00, ‘04 and ‘08)

• Winner of 55 career doubles titles

• Captured the 2009 Wimbledon mixed doubles crown

• Masters Cup Champion in 2007

• Finished as year-end doubles No. 1 in 2002 and 2004

• All-American in singles and doubles at UCLA