Andrew Lapthorne and John Parfitt will contest the first ITF Super Series quad singles semi-finals of their respective careers on Saturday at the Japan Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships in Iizuka after straight sets victories in their quarter-finals on Friday.
Second seed and world No. 6 Lapthorne looks set for a top five quad singles world ranking for the first time in his career after a remarkably confident performance in his quarter-final match against Malaysia's Azman Hasan. Lapthorne defeated Hasan 6-0, 6-0 to set up a semi-final against fast-improving Israeli third seed and world No 12 Noam Gershony.
Meanwhile, Parfitt could still better his career best singles ranking of No 14 after defeating Japan's Takashi Hirata. From a set and 4-1 up, sixth seed Parfitt kept his composure after Hirata retrieved a break to make it 4-3 in the second set. The Briton went on to seal a 6-0, 6-3 victory that has booked him a semi-final against American world No 1 and defending champion David Wagner.
After their respective wins in their singles quarter-finals, Lapthorne and Parfitt narrowly missed out on a place in the quad doubles final. The British partnership put up a fine effort against third seeds Gershony and Anders Hard of Sweden, but Gershony and Hard eventually edged to a 7-5, 7-6(8) win.
The Japan Open is the second tournament on the 2011 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour to have Super Series status, which makes it one of the five most important wheelchair tennis events outside of the Grand Slams.
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