By JARROD POTTER
AUSTRALIAN rising star sportsman Codey Gunn will be en route to India over the next couple of days to represent his country, but not for the sport you would think.
Gunn, 13, from Narre Warren South, will represent Tennis Australia in the Asia/Oceania International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Junior Tennis qualifying event in New Delhi, India from 28 April to 3 May.
Selected as one of the country’s best and brightest tennis stars, Gunn will be one of six Australian representatives aiming to help the country qualify for the World Junior Tennis finals, to be held in Prostejov in the Czech Republic from 4-9 August.
“I got chosen – not quite sure what I did to get chosen – but I had a lot of good results in tournaments,” Gunn said.
“At a nationals I came third – on clay and grass – and I won a couple of the grass court Vic championships earlier this year so it’s always nice.”
The former Fountain Gate Tennis Club player moved out to Kooyong two and a half years ago to improve his tennis and has also made the first team in tennis at St Kevin’s College in Toorak – the youngest player currently on the roster.
“It’s been heaps of help – good facilities as it has swimming pools and squash courts,” Gunn said.
Gunn sees his strengths in a big forehand and a pretty good serve and hopes he can put his practice to the test and help Australia qualify for the World Junior Tennis finals.
“I’m a bit nervous – just for representing Australia I guess,” Gunn said.
“We face the rest of the world over there and I want to win a few games and try not to get sick.
“If we win we get to go to Czech Republic so that would be pretty good.”
The event is seen as a stepping stone to the higher ranks of professional teams as it has helped launch the careers of stars such as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Lleyton Hewitt.
Gunn wanted to thank Prince for his racquet sponsorship and the Kooyong Tennis Club for helping him improve as a player.
Narre Warren is well represented in the World Junior Tennis qualifiers with Destanee Aiava also part of the six-person Australian under-14 team.
