One-armed Kiwi takes tennis world by storm
ALEX HUNT has only one arm. But it was enough for the Kiwi to beat six players and make it to the main draw of the on-going Singha Classic.
The 23-year-old decided to enter the event at the Impact Tennis Academy on the advice of a friend and also to get acclimatised to the humid conditions before the ITF Men’s Futures series in Hua Hin next month.
Born with one arm, the Nelson-based player uses a prosthetic left arm to toss the ball. With his right arm he generates powerful, sharp-angled shots that have seen off four players in pre-qualifying and two in qualifying. His latest victim was Punnakrit Kritakara, a top-10 player in Thailand, beaten in the first round of the main draw yesterday.
“My entire family plays tennis so I was always around the sport from a young age. I started playing at about three and fell in love with the sport,” said Hunt, who grew up idolising Roger Federer.
While most people admire the effort Hunt has put in to forge a pro career in tennis, he encountered resentment of his success as a junior.
“I had one bad reaction in my tennis career. A father of the kid I was playing against complained that I get an advantage using my prosthetic arm. But I try to block out other people's opinions.
“I see myself the same as everyone else,” said Hunt, who loves to pressure his opponents at the net.
Interestingly, the New Zealander neither has a sponsor nor a coach. “I am now travelling on my own with expenses from my own pocket. I don't have a full time coach. I get tips from different people around the world and I am always looking to learn from those around me.”
Hunt has played in a few ITF events and never moved past qualifying. His requests for a wild card in the main draw have so far met with rejection.
Next on his calendar is qualifying at the three-week Hua Hin ITF series, which starts on June 5. But to achieve his dream of getting a world ranking, the youngster needs to win a match in the main draw.
“I decided to pursue tennis as a career because it has always been my dream to get an ATP point and travel the world playing the sport I love. I also want to show other people who might have a disability that anything is possible,” Hunt said.
