Two British players will contest the wheelchair tennis event at Roland Garros for the first time next month, after the International Tennis Federation today confirmed both Gordon Reid and Lucy Shuker among the entries for the second Grand Slam of 2013.
Reid, who has played twice in the men's doubles at The Championships, Wimbledon, will make his Grand Slam singles debut at Roland Garros this year after becoming the first British men's player to qualify for the elite field of eight in Paris.
With the world's top seven ranked men's and women's players earning direct entry, Reid ensured his place in the field last month after beating world No. 1 Shingo Kunieda and reaching the men's singles final at the South African Open, the second Super Series event of the year on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour. The British No. 1, who is part of the Tennis Foundation's Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme, subsequently moved to a career high world No. 6 ranking.
"I'm very excited to have earned a place in the field for my first Grand Slam singles event, after what has been a great year so far," said Reid. "I knew that the tournaments in South Africa last month were probably going to be crucial in terms of earning my direct entry for Roland Garros but it also depended on the results of other players, too, so I just had to take it a match a time. Obviously to do it in style by beating the world No. 1 for the first time to reach my second Super Series final was very satisfying and I'm really looking forward to getting on to the clay in Paris and giving it my best shot."
Shuker, who reached a career high world No. 5 ranking in March, will play at Roland Garros for the third time in her career and for the first time in four years, having reached the women's singles semi-finals on her debut in Paris in 2007.
In January Shuker reached her first women's singles semi-final and second women's doubles final at the Australian Open.
Both Reid and Shuker have been selected by the Tennis Foundation to compete at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Turkey from May 20.
"I've really enjoyed playing at Roland Garros in the past and I can't wait to get back there again as it's such a great venue," said London 2012 Paralympic women's doubles bronze medallist Shuker.
"With my current career high ranking, I'm confident I can keep improving and testing myself on the clay in France will be an enjoyable challenge but first we've got World Team Cup to look forward to and I want to help the GB girls to another medal this year."
The wheelchair tennis event at Roland Garros will take place from 5-7 June.
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