The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the country’s top tennis players vie for supremacy on the court in the Giorgio Baldacci Open Challenge Tennis Tournament, they took time out to fondly remember the impact Baldacci had on the sport.

Kevin Major Jr established himself as one of the top junior players in the country and said the tournament was a fitting way to honour Baldacci who was vital in establishing a strong work ethic in his career.

“Giorgio was an old school Italian coach. I don’t think much people could understand a word he was saying, but I understood everything he was saying. He coached me for almost 10 years and even when other kids did not want to practice, Giorgio would ask me to practice and we would work until about eight at night sometimes,” he said.

“Anytime I needed something from Giorgio, he was there to give it to me and he was one of the most influential people I have come across playing the sport in my short career so far.”

Devin Mullings, whose career has taken him from Ohio State to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and one of the country’s top Davis Cup players of the past decade, also noted Baldacci’s personal impact on his career.

“He meant a lot. Especially around the tennis centre with the construction of the building, I know he had a lot to do with that and it has been such a huge part of the development of tennis in the country since its been here,” he said.

“He travelled with a lot of juniors and assisted whenever he could. He travelled with me when I was a junior and coached me through so many matches.

“He has been a key factor in Bahamian tennis and for me as well coming up in the junior ranks and he will be missed.”

In November 2012, Baldacci died following a long illness. He was 78.

BLTA president Derron Donaldson and other members of the BLTA have heralded Baldacci’s commitment to assist Bahamian tennis players and those in need financially, with scholarships and, more importantly, his free time as a tennis coach and instructor. He trained former and current national players and, in recent years, assisted with officiating local tournaments as well as organising tournaments.

Baldacci also served as a national coach, administrator and past BLTA president.

Immediately following his death, the BLTA announced that its December Invitational would be renamed in Baldacci’s honour.

“There has to be a tangible way for his contribution on the sport to be remembered for other generations that continue to develop and grow within the sport. For someone who was an expat to have taken so much of his time and effort in developing Bahamian children was something special and was a true testament to his character,” Donaldson said.

“He was modest but strong-willed, that was his spirit. I’m not sure if we can ever properly address the impact he had on the game. He is one of those people we have to appreciate and honour for their contribution.”