By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH he’s juggling his time between work and play, Justyn Thompson said he was pleased to put together a good effort to win the men’s singles at the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) Open in Fort Lauderdale, Florida over the weekend.

Thompson pulled off his first three matches in the round robin to go undefeated in his bracket. Then in the final, he out-scored Eric Greene of Cayman Islands 11-2 to clinch the gold.

“Overall I felt pretty good and confident about playing in the tournament,” Thompson said. “I had  mixed feelings because I struggle with training as often and don’t have the opportunity to travel and compete consistently like the average professional player.”

Thompson made a last minute decision to play in the tournament a few days before the registration was closed, but he indicated that was training and appreciated that his job at Baha Mar allowed him to practice on the courts and to go to the gym. He noted that he even changed his diet, which helped in his paration for the tournament. 

“My overall performance was better than I expected. I played with more confidence than I usually would,” Thompson said. “My training sessions were intense leading up to the tournament so I knew all I had to do was just go on the court and play. 

“I had a positive feeling about the outcome of the tournament during my first match when I was hitting shots I would normally struggle with in practice. So I just tried my best to continue believing in my abilities.

This was Thompson’s sixth international tournament he’s played in and he was thrilled to walk away with his best performance ever. 

He noted that he had to play much better because the competition was of a high level with some of the top players in America competing with a lot of prize money up for grabs. 

*This tournament was different because at least eighty percent of the players there were signed athletes that have some sort of financial assistance or have some sort of contract representing a league or brand,” Thompson said.

“Whereas on the other side, I am not and would usually have to support myself when traveling and competing. So this tournament I felt I had to prove myself more than the players to show someone from the Bahamas can compete at the highest level with them.”

And having played singles for the first time in a tournament at this high level, Thompson said he will continue training and making his presence felt on the circuit. 

“I hope to inspire other Bahamian people to become involved in the sport, which is in the process of being included in the Olympics in the future,” he said. “I hope to be one of the players from the Bahamas that is competing.”

This tournament was just a jumpstart to his ultimate goal.