RECENTLY elected president of Tennis Jamaica, Aubyn Hill, said he hopes at some point to meet with ATP-ranked player Dustin Brown and forge a way forward between the player and the local tennis association.

Brown had a tumultuous relationship with the former head of Tennis Jamaica, Phillip Gore, and honorary secretary, Christine Gore, during the five-year tenure of the last administration which culminated with the player stating earlier this year that he was tempted to switch allegiance and compete for Great Britain, the birthplace of his grandparents.

Among Brown’s grouses was what he called a lack of financial support from Tennis Jamaica.

Hill, who was elected unanimously to the top post of local tennis’ governing body on August 19, in an exclusive interview with Sporting World, said he would be willing to talk with Brown and find a way to mend the broken fences.

“It is very clear that he (Brown) has had a long history with Tennis Jamaica… one of the things I try to do with history is that I try to understand it quickly and don’t live there because history has nothing to do with the present and the future in terms of how you live,” Hill said.

“We want to understand what has happened,” he added. “(So) I will sit down with him and his mother and I won’t sit with them alone. I will sit with them and other people from Tennis Jamaica and other people who have an interest in tennis and we will see if we can mark out a way to the future as much as possible leaving behind some of the things we must leave behind if we’re going to deal with the future.”

Brown, who was born in Germany of a German mother and a Jamaican father, has steadily moved up the rankings of the ATP tour in 2010, making his debut at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon in July and the US Open in August where he was eliminated in the first round of Wimbledon and the second round at Flushing Meadows.

He reached his highest ATP Tour ranking of 98 in June.

“Dustin Brown has very strong Jamaican heritage. He has played a lot in Jamaica, he knows a lot of people in Jamaica and he has played a lot elsewhere as well,” Hill stated.

“My hope is that once we sit down and talk and vent the issues, put them on the table, make sure its very clear that each side has a chance to say this… I try to forge a path forward that I hope will make it possible for both sides to live.”

Hill said despite the past relationship with the association he did not feel things were beyond repair.

“I’m coming in new so as far as I am concerned its not irreparable,” he said. “If they prove to be that way then we have to deal with that and move forward.”