Vergeer heads entry for 23rd British Open

Dutch sensation Esther Vergeer joins a host of the world's top players as they descend on Nottingham next week for the 23rd British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships from 17th – 22nd July.

Vergeer, who remains unbeaten since January 2003 in more than 450 singles matches, will be joined by three of her compatriots from the world's top five in the women's draw and is bidding to win her 12th British Open singles title.

Leading the way for the British women at the ITF Super Series, part of the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, will be Wimbledon doubles finalists Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley as they go for glory in the singles and doubles events.

"The British Open is always one of the highlights of the wheelchair tennis calendar and this year it's even more exciting as it's the last major tournament before the London 2012 Paralympics," said Shuker.

"We will all be after important ranking points to get a seeding at the Games and hopefully the British public will get behind us again and enjoy some world class tennis in Nottingham."

There will be a clean sweep of the world's top ten men at Nottingham Tennis Centre as world No.2 Dutchman Maikel Scheffers tries to make it a hat-trick of titles following wins in 2010 and 2011.

He will face stiff opposition from French world No.1 Stephane Houdet, Japan's three-time British Open champion Shingo Kunieda and Britain's top two Gordon Reid and Marc McCarroll.

Heading up the quad division will be world No.1 David Wagner from the USA and world No.3 Noam Gershony from Israel. But Britain's 2011 semi-finalists Andy Lapthorne and Jamie Burdekin will be hot on their heels at world No.4 and No.6 respectively.

Organised by the Tennis Foundation, the British Open is free for spectators to attend and there will be a chance for everyone to pick up a racket over the weekend with various tennis activities for all the family.

Share