Open de la Baie Somme, ITF 1 (Disability, ITF, Brit Watch)

06/06/13

Gordon Reid clinched the first ITF 1 Series singles title of his career on Sunday at the Open de la Baie de Somme to complete an astonishing three days for the British No. 1 men's wheelchair tennis player during which he beat the world's top three ranked players in successive days.

Helensburgh's Reid also finished the tournament with the men's doubles title, which he had already secured on Saturday partnering Frenchman Stephane Houdet, the player he beat 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3 in Sunday's singles final.

At the end of a week in which he turned 22 on the eve the tournament, world No. 6 Reid saw a 5-2 lead slip away in the first set of Sunday's final before Houdet clinched a tie-break. However, Reid also opened up 5-2 leads in both the second and third sets and although Houdet took the eighth game in both of the last two sets Reid held on for his third career win over the world No. 2.

Reid began his singles campaign on Friday, reeling off six games in a row in the second set of his quarter-final against Dutch world No. 3 Maikel Scheffers to complete a 6-4, 6-1 victory and his third career win over Scheffers.

The Brit then came up against world No. 1 Shingo Kunieda of Japan in Saturday's semi-finals and Reid clinched a crucial second set tie-break before taking the first five games of the third and deciding set, at which stage Kunieda retired with an injury. It was Reid's second win of his career over the two-time Paralympic men's singles gold medallist, having first beaten Kunieda in the semi-finals of the South African Open in April this year.

Reid's victory in Sunday's final in Rue was also his third win of 2013 over Houdet, having beaten the London 2012 silver medallist for the very first time in Feburary this year.

Reid and Houdet extended their unbeaten doubles record to three tournaments since they first teamed up together in the USA exactly 12 months ago in October 2012. They justified top seeding in Rue, defeating Belgium's Joachim Gerard and Kunieda 6-7(5), 6-3, (11-9) after a deciding championship tie-break in Saturday's final. It was their second ITF 1 doubles together this season and Reid's ninth ITF 1 doubles title of his career.

Reid and Houdet will pair up again at next month's ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters in Mission Viejo, Southern California, where Reid will also be one of four Brits on the Tennis Foundation's Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme to contest the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters. A total of eight Brits have qualified for either or both of the year-end singles and doubles championships for the world's leading wheelchair tennis players.

Before then Reid and Britain's other top players are set to be among a high class international entry for the Nottingham Indoors, the final ITF 1 Series tournament on the 2013 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which is organised by the Tennis Foundation and takes place at Nottingham Tennis Centre from 23-27 October.

05/10/13

Gordon Reid enjoyed a memorable third day at the Open de la Baie de Somme, beating world No. 1 Shingo Kunieda of Japan to reach the men's singles final and also winning the men's doubles title.

World No. 6 Reid was edged out of the first set in his men's singles semifinal by top seed Kunieda, but after opening up a 5-2 second set lead the British No. 1 eventually snatched a tie-break to level the match. Reid went on to secure the first five games of the third and final set before Kunieda retired, with Reid securing the win 4-6, 7-6, 5-0 RET for his second career victory over the two-time Paralympic men's singles gold medallist, having first beaten Kunieda in South Africa in April this year.

Having beaten Dutch world No. 3 Maikel Scheffers in his quarter-final, Reid will now face world No. 2 Stephane Houdet of France in Sunday's final in Rue, France.

Reid and Houdet were also involved in an exciting climax to the men's doubles final. They swapped games with Belgium's Joachim Gerard and Kunieda throughout the opening set and despite Reid and Houdet having set points at 5-4 up they were taken to a first set tie-break. At 5-5 in the tie-break both partnerships had won 41 points apiece, but Gerard and Kunieda claimed the last two points to gain the set.

Reid and Houdet secured an early break in the second set to lead 3-1 and maintained their cushion en route to take the second set. Houdet and Reid saw an early 2-0 lead in the match tie-break slip away as Gerard and Kunieda opened up a 7-4 lead. However, the top seeds would not be denied and Houdet and Reid fended off a match point at 9-8 down before clinching the first match point of their own for a 6-7(5), 6-3, (11-9) victory that extends their unbeaten record as doubles partners to three tournaments.



04/10/13

Gordon Reid beat Dutch world No. 3 Maikel Scheffers for just the third time in his career to reach the men's singles semi-finals in Rue.

World No. 6 Reid edged a close first set, winning just two more points than Scheffers after 10 games, but the British No. 1 was much the better player in the second set as he reeled off six games in a row for a 6-4, 6-1 victory to earn a semi-final on Saturday against Japan's world No. 1 Shingo Kunieda.

Reid will also meet Kunieda in the men's doubles final on Saturday's penultimate day of play. Reid and his French partner Stephane Houdet will play Belgium's Joachim Gerard and Kunieda.

Louise Hunt and Jiske Griffioen saw their hopes of reaching the women's doubles final come to an end after a tense semi-final against Marjolein Buis and Sharon Walraven early on the second day in Rue.

From being 5-3 down Hunt and Griffioen had the chance to level the opening set at 5-5 before Buis and Walraven prevailed. Hunt and Griffioen took a 2-0 second set lead and then came from 5-4 down to force a tie-break. However, despite having set points in the tie-break Hunt and Griffioen were unable to convert their chance and Buis and Walraven closed out a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory.

03/10/13

There were mixed fortunes for Gordon Reid and Louise Hunt on the opening day of play in Rue du Moulin as Reid moved into the men's doubles final.

Reid and Frenchman Stephane Houdet, who are bidding to maintain their unbeaten record in what is their third tournament together, beat Frederic Cattaneo of France and Evans Maripa of South Africa 6-1, 6-1 to book their place in Saturday's final against Belgium's Joachim Gerard and Shingo Kunieda of Japan.

Reid will play world Dutch world No. 3 Maikel Scheffers in his men's singles quarter-final on Friday's second day of play.

Hunt faced Dutch second seed and reigning NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters champion Jiske Griffioen in her women's singles quarter-final, with Griffioen winning 6-0, 6-1.

Hunt will partner Griffioen in Friday's women's doubles semi-finals against the all-Dutch partnership of Marjolein Buis and Sharon Walraven.

02/10/13

Gordon Reid and Louise Hunt carry British hopes into this week's ITF 1 Series event, which is a new addition to the NEC Tour calendar for 2013 and has a maximum field of eight for the the men's and women's singles.

World No. 6 Reid is among seven of the world's top 10 ranked players in the men's singles, which has a field headed by world No. 1 Shingo Kunieda of Japan and world No. 2 Steephane Houdet of France, both of whom Reid has beaten earlier this season.

British No. 3 Hunt lines up alongside five world top 10 ranked player in the women's singles, including world No. 2 Sabine Ellerbrock of Germany and world No. 3 Jiske Griffioen of the Netherlands. 

View the tournament website here.