Great Britain got off to a confident start in the women’s World Group on the second day of the BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Turkey, with Lucy Shuker, Jordanne Whiley and Louise Hunt all playing a part in a 3-0 win over Chile.
Whiley got Great Britain underway, beating Macarena Cabrillana 7-5, 6-2 before Shuker put the tie beyond doubt with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Francisca Mardones. Hunt and Shuker then combined to beat Isabel Aguirre and Mardones 6-1, 6-4 in the doubles rubber.
The GB women’s team, third seed in Antalya, now face Spain on Wednesday to decide which team finishes top of round-robin Group C to advance to the semi-finals.
“It was an ideal start for us and great that we could also get wins under our belts to give us confidence for the rest of the week,” said Shuker. “Hopefully we can put in an equally good performance against Spain to give ourselves the change of playing for a medal.”
Great Britain’s junior team face a crucial contest on Wednesday against the USA, the team that beat Britain in last year’s semi-finals, to stand the chance of reaching the semi-finals again this year after a narrow 2-1 loss to Spain.
After winning her first every wheelchair tennis match on the opening day of competition, Luz Esperanza Merry found the going tough against Martin de la Puente, with the Spaniard winning the opening singles rubber 6-0, 6-0.
Alfie Hewett lived up to his position as world No. 1 ranked junior when defeating Felix Garcia 6-3, 6-2. With the tie in the balance Lauren Jones partnered Hewett for the crucial doubles rubber, which came down to a deciding match tie-break. Hewett and Jones earned themselves three match points, but were unable to convert them and de la Puente and Garcia went on claim a 6-7(3), 6-4 (12-10) victory, leaving Great Britain with one win and won loss after two days of the junior event.
Great Britain’s quad team will play-off for fifth to eighth places after being defeated by Italy. With Jamie Burdekin unable to contest the singles rubbers Adam Field went up against Marco Innocenti, with the Italian taking the opening singles match 6-0, 7-5.
Antony Cotterill made a gallant attempt at keeping Great Britain’s hopes alive in the tie when taking Giuseppe Polidori to three sets, but Polidori came from a set down to prevail 5-7, 7-6(8), 6-3. With Italy having won both singles rubbers, Polidori and Antonio Raffaele led the doubles rubber 6-4, 3-2 when Cotterill and Field retired. Great Britain now face the USA, the top seeds for the quad event.
Wednesday’s third day of play seed Gordon Reid, McCarroll and David Phillipson begin Great Britain’s challenge in the men’s World Group. The fourth seeds will face Korea Republic in the first of two-round-robin group ties.
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