Lucy Shuker won both the women’s singles and doubles titles at the Daegu Open in Korea over the weekend to clinch the second ITF 1 Series singles title of her career and her third ITF 1 doubles title in the last month on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
The British No. 1 and second seed eased into the women’s singles final without dropping a set and then beat top seed and world No. 7 Daniela di Toro 6-3, 6-4 to clinch the title and gain her first career win over the Australian in seven attempts.
As a result of her Daegu Open success Shuker has returned to No. 10 in the women's singles world rankings for the first time since early November.
After adding to her maiden ITF 1 singles title, which she won at the Belgian Open in 2010, Shuker partnered Germany's Katharina Kruger to win the women's doubles final in Daegu
Top seeds Shuker and Kruger beat unseeded Korean duo Myung-Hee Hwang and Ju-Yeon Park 6-2, 6-1 as Shuker followed up the Korea Open doubles title she had won with fellow Brit Jordanne Whiley in Seoul a few days earlier.
“I'm over the moon with my second ITF 1 Series title,” said Shuker. “Since I won my first ITF 1 in Belgium two years ago it's felt like a long road back to that kind of form at times after recovering from injury, so it's a big confidence boost ahead of a busy summer in Europe. I'd never taken a set off Dani before, so to beat her in straight sets and to leave Korea with two doubles titles is a very encouraging end to what's been a good few weeks on tour."
In May Shuker and Whiley won the women’s doubles gold medal at the Eton Manor International in Olympic Park, the Test Event for September’s London 2012 Paralympic Games, before winning their first ITF 1 doubles title together at last month’s Atlanta Open before heading to Asia.
“I'm delighted for Lucy, her victory in Daegu ends a solid period since the Eton Manor Test Event at the beginning of May during which she's beaten the current world No. 4 and the world No.7,” said the Tennis Foundation's Head of Disability Player Performance Geraint Richards. “She's also won four successive doubles titles, including two ITF 1 titles with Jordanne, so it bodes well heading into the rest of a busy summer that includes the upcoming British Open Super Series tournament in Nottingham in July."
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