Watch a video of the Team GB Paralympics Training Camp held at the National Tennis Centre
When play begins at the purpose built Eton Manor tennis centre in the Olympic Park, wheelchair tennis will be celebrating 20 years as a medal event at the Paralympics.
Great Britain will be well represented in the Quads, Men’s and Women’s events with ten players aiming to win medals for ParalympicsGB.
Quad Division
Britain’s most successful wheelchair player Peter Norfolk OBE will begin the games with the honour of carrying the British flag in the opening ceremony. Read Norfolk’s reaction to this honour here.
The 51 year-old will be appearing in his third Paralympics and will arrive in London as the two-time defending Quad singles champion and holder of four Paralympic medals.
In Athens Norfolk defeated great rival David Wagner 6-3, 6-2 for the Gold medal and won the silver in doubles partnering Marc Eccleston.
Four years later in Beijing, a 6-2, 6-2 victory over surprise finalist Johan Andersson gave him a second successful Gold medal and he again took a medal in the doubles with a bronze alongside Jamie Burdekin.
Currently ranked third, the former World No.1 has this year won a fourth Australian Open title and was a finalist at the Florida Open and won the Quad test event at Eton Manor in May.
Andy Lapthorne will be partnering Norfolk in the Quad doubles event but the World No.4 will also have major ambitions in the singles event making his Paralympic debut in London.
This year the 21 year-old from Eastcote has won singles titles at the South African Open and Cajun Classic.
Lapthorne reached the World No.1 Quad doubles ranking during 2011 and has twice lifted the Australian Open title with Norfolk. The duo will have their sights firmly set on another Paralympic medal when they line up at Eton Manor.
Jamie Burdekin will be appearing in his second Paralympics after taking the doubles bronze with Norfolk four years ago.
The 32 year-old from Liverpool won the Melbourne Open earlier this year and is at a career ranked high of 5 in the world.
Men’s singles
British No.1 Gordon Reid will lead a quartet of British players in the Men’s singles event and will be looking to impress in the capital.
The 21 year-old World No.9 competed in both singles and doubles four years ago in Beijing as a teenager and will aim to build on that experience.
This year Reid has been a two-time singles finalist at the Korea Open and South African Open and reached his first ever Super Series final at the British Open in July.
Reid has also had significant success on the doubles court winning two titles partnering compatriot Marc McCarroll and one with France’s Michael Jeremiasz.
21st ranked Marc McCarroll will be making his Paralympic debut after making major strides during 2012.
The 27 year-old, who achieved the British No.1 ranking for the first time last year, reached a career high ranking of 13 in April.
This year McCarroll lifted his first ITF 1 Series singles and doubles titles at the 2012 South African Open (partnering Reid) as well as winning doubles titles in Melbourne (with Reid) and in Atlanta with Maikel Scheffers of the Netherlands.
23 year-old David Phillipson will be familiar with the courts at Eton Manor having been runner-up in the test event in May.
The World No.21 was also a semi-finalist at the Queensland Open earlier this year after reaching his first ITF 1 series final at the 2011 Korea Open.
Phillipson achieved his career best ranking of 11 two years ago and will be looking for a repeat of his earlier success at the Eton Manor complex.
Sheffield’s Alex Jewitt will be playing his second Paralympics after making his singles and doubles debuts in China.
Currently ranked 34th he 36 year-old is just eight places off his career best ranking achieved five years ago.
This season Jewitt has been a finalist at A Coruna in Spain and was a doubles finalist at the Adelaide Open alongside France’s Frederic Cattaneo.
Britain will have two medal chances in the Men’s doubles event at Eton Manor the teams of Reid and McCarroll and Phillipson and Jewitt both out in the hunt for medals.
Women’s singles
British No.1 Lucy Shuker leads a trio of British women looking to make a major impact at Eton Manor.
The World No.9 made her Paralympic debut four years ago and has three times been a doubles finalist on the grass at Wimbledon.
This year 32 year-old Shuker has won the Daegu Open and was a finalist in Atlanta. On the doubles court Shuker has claimed three titles, two in partnership with compatriot Jordanne Whiley.
Shuker and Whiley will be confident of a run deep in the doubles draw as third seeds in London.
20 year-old Jordanne Whiley experienced her first Paralympics as a 16 year-old in Beijing where she reached the doubles quarter finals with Shuker.
The World No.12 has reached four semi-finals during 2012 and has lifted four doubles titles alongside Shuker in Korea and Atlanta and partnering Lucy Hunt in Adelaide and Melbourne.
Whiley has an impressive Paralympic pedigree as her Father Keith won a bronze medal at the 1984 New York Paralympics in the in the L3 100m.
21 year-old Lucy Hunt will be making her first Paralympic appearance at Eton Manor.
Currently ranked 23rd Hunt has this year won the singles and doubles titles (with Japan’s Yuko Okabe) at the Israel Open as well as four further doubles titles.
Hunt has produced some of her best results in World Team Cup; winning a bronze this year to add to her bronze from last year and silver in 2009.
Keep track of all the wheelchair tennis action from Eton Manor on the LTA website from Saturday 1st September and follow @TennisFndation on Twitter and Official British Tennis on Facebook
Share