Last updated: 29/07/2013

Fletcher reaches singles and doubles quarter-finals at Deaflympics

Catherine Fletcher advanced to the women's singles quarter-finals on Monday's fourth day of the 22nd Summer Deaflympics before also partnering her husband Lewis to the mixed doubles quarter-finals.

Catherine produced a fine performance to beat Chinese Taipei's Hsiu-Hsiang Ho 6-0, 6-1, proving more consistent than her opponent in a match that was much closer than the score line suggests.

The seventh seed, who was appointed Great Britain National Deaf Tennis Coach by the Tennis Foundation earlier this year, will now play German fourth seed Verena Fleckenstein on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals and the chance of playing for a medal.

While Catherine advanced, Bethany Brookes saw her women's singles challenge come to an end against French sixth seed Sophie Bernard as the silver medallist from last year's European Championships moved into the last eight 6-2, 6-2.

Later in the day Catherine and Lewis Fletcher put up a confident display to beat India's Shilipi Jaiswal and D. H. Prashanth 6-3, 6-2 in their opening mixed doubles match. Fletcher and Fletcher will play Chinese or Turkish opponents in the quarter-finals as the 2012 European Championships bronze medallists continue their quest for a Deaflympic medal.

However, Bethany Brookes and Peter Willcox bowed out of the mixed doubles after a tough match against Emily and Daniel Hangstefer, as the American duo progressed 6-3, 6-4.

British hopes also ended in the men's singles. Lewis Fletcher missed out against 12th seed Maxime Sanchez as the Frenchman moved into the quarter-finals 7-5, 6-0. Meanwhile, Willcox was beaten 6-1, 6-0 by German fourth seed Hans Toedter.

Following Catherine Fletcher's singles match tomorrow, she will be back on court partnering Brookes for the women's doubles quarter-finals. The British duo take on Italian fourth seeds Barbara Oddone and Susanna Ricci Bitti, who won the women's doubles bronze medal at the 2009 Deaflympics in Taipei.

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