04/05/13
British players completed the Atlanta Open with three titles from four finals on Sunday, with Jordanne Whiley sealing the first ITF 1 Series women's singles title of her career.
In the first all-British women's singles final at ITF 1 Series level on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, British No. 2 Whiley won the last three games of the first set against British No. 1 and second seed Lucy Shuker before Shuker fought back in a high quality match to level the contest.
However, fifth seed Whiley finished the stronger to seal a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory and leave Shuker as the runner-up in Atlanta for the second successive year.
"I'm so happy to have won my first ever singles ITF1 title, it was a tough match, but I'm really happy with how I pulled through," said Whiley, who reached her first ITF 1 final by beating the highest ranked opponent of her career after a three set win over world No. 2 Sabine Ellerbrock of Germany. "I can see the improvements I've made so far and there's more to come."
A year on from winning their first ITF 1 Series doubles title together in Atlanta, top seeds Shuker and Whiley won their fourth ITF doubles crown earlier in the day after completing their second career win over Ellerbrock and Sharon Walraven of the Netherlands.
Seconds seeds Ellerbrock and Walraven came from a break down to clinch the second set, but having dominated the opening set London 2012 bronze medallists Shuker and Whiley held on in a match tie-break to wrap up a 6-1, 5-7, (10-7) victory for their second ITF 1 Series title this year.
British No. 1 Gordon Reid and Dutchman Maikel Scheffers also justified top seeding in the men's doubles final to clinch their fourth title together from five tournaments after a polished 6-2, 6-1 win over second seeds Michael Jeremiasz of France and Ben Weekes of Australia.
However, there was disappointment for Andy Lapthorne in the quad singles final after Britain's world No. 2 was unable to find his best form against American world No. 1 David Wagner, with Wagner going on to clinch his seventh successive Atlanta Open title 6-0, 6-0.
View final results here (link opens in new window).
03/05/13
Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley set up an all-British women's singles final and reached the women's doubles final on a tremendous third day of play for the Brits at the Atlanta Open as Andy Lapthorne also reached the quad singles final and Gordon Reid reached the men's doubles final.
British No. 1 and fifth seed Whiley earned her first ever career win over a world No. 2 ranked player as she came from a set down and 5-2 down in the third and deciding set against German top seed Sabine Ellerbrock to prevail 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-5 and reach her first ITF 1 Series final.
Second seed Shuker's semi-final victory was altogether more comfortable as she reached the Atlanta Open women's singles final for the second successive year after beating Korean seventh seed Ju-Yeon Park 6-2, 6-1.
Shuker and Whiley will now contest the first all-British women's singles final at ITF 1 Series level on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
They also paired up to beat fourth seeds Emmy Kaiser of USA and Francisca Mardones of Chile 6-3, 6-1 in their women's doubles semi-final. The London 2012 women's doubles bronze medallists and tops seeds will now bid to retain their Atlanta Open title against second seeds Ellerbrock and Sharon Walraven of the Netherlands.
In the quad singles semi-finals world No. 2 Andy Lapthorne recovered from an indifferent second set against American world No. 3 Nick Taylor to progress 6-2, 0-6, 6-4. Lapthorne will now play world No. 1 David Wagner after the American top seed ended hopes of an all-British final when he beat Antony Cotterill 6-0, 6-3.
Gordon Reid saw his men's singles campaign come to an end in his semi-final after a narrow three set loss to third seed Michael Jeremiasz of France. World No. 5 and second seed Reid kept pace with Jeremiasz until 4-4 in the final set before the world No. 9 won the last two games for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
However, Reid did reach the men's doubles final, partnering Dutchman Maikel Scheffers. The top seeds beat Japanese fourth seeds Yoshinobu Fujimoto and Satoshi Saida 6-2, 6-1 and will now play second seeds Jeremiasz and Ben Weekes of Australia for the title.
View draws and results here (link opens in new window).
02/05/13
Five out of six Brits maintain live singles challenges heading into the semi-finals at the Atlanta Open after Antony Cotterill and Jordanne Whiley both beat higher ranked players on the second day of play.
Almost six years after reaching his first ITF 1 Series quad singles semi-final in the USA, Cotterill has excelled again on the other side of the Atlantic after beating his second higher ranked opponent in successive days. Cotterill beat Greg Hasterok 7-5, 7-6(5) in his quarter-final and will now face world No. 1 David Wagner, who will be his third American opponent in a row.
Cotterill is joined in the quad singles semi-finals by second seed Andy Lapthorne after the world No. 2 won eight of the last nine games against Canada's Sarah Hunter to advance 7-5, 6-1. Lapthorne will now play American third seed Nick Taylor.
In the women's singles there are also still hopes of an all-British final. Fifth seed Whiley beat fourth seed Katharina Kruger in the Atlanta quarter-finals for the second successive year, earning a 6-2, 6-2 victory this year that sets up a semi-final against another German opponent, world No. 2 and top seed Sabin Ellerbrock.
Meanwhile, British No. 1 and world No. 5 Shuker is one match away from reaching the final in Atlanta for the second year in a row after beating Chilean sixth seed Francisca Mardones 6-0, 6-1. Shuker comes up against Korean seventh seed Ju-Yeon Park in the last four after Park prevented a second successive semi-final between Shuker and Sharon Walraven after upsetting the Dutchwoman in three sets.
Gordon Reid eased into the men's singles semi-finals, but Marc McCarroll bowed out in the last eight. Second seed Reid will play French third seed Michael Jeremiasz for a place in the final after defeating seventh seed Yoshinobu Fujimoto of Japan 6-2, 6-4. Meanwhile, Jeremiasz faced a strong first set challenge from fifth seed McCarroll, but the Frenchman dominated the second set to advance 7-6(4), 6-0.
Reid is renewing a previously successful men's doubles partnership with Dutchman Maikel Scheffers this week and the top seeds beat Philippe Bedard of Canada and Ji-Hwan Lee of Korea 6-2, 6-2 to earn a semi-final against Japanese third seeds Yoshinobu Fujimoto and Satoshi Saida.
However, McCarroll and his French partner Yoann Quilliou bowed out to Brazilian duo Rafael Medeiros and Daniel Rodrigues 6-4, 6-0.
In the women's doubles top seeds Shuker and Whiley opened their title defence with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Americans Kate Stuteville and Elizabeth Williams. Shuker and Whiley play fourth seeds Emmy Kaiser of the USA and Mardones in the semi-finals.
But top seeds Taylor and Wagner proved too strong for Cotterill and Lapthorne in the quad doubles semi-finals, the three-time Paralympic gold medallists reaching the final after a 6-2, 6-1 victory.
View draws and results here (link opens in new window).
01/05/13
Antony Cotterill produced the outstanding British result on the first day of play in Atlanta after beating American fourth seed Bryan Barten 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to join Andy Lapthorne in the quad singles quarter-finals. Cotterill will now play another top 10 ranked opponent, American Greag Hasterok, for a place in the semi-finals.
World No. 2 Andy Lapthorne had a much more comfortable passage to the quarter-finals after also beating an American, Mohamed Shoeb Khan, 6-0, 6-0. Lapthorne goes on to play former world No. 2 Sarah Hunter of Canada.
Cotterill and Lapthorne eased into the quad doubles semi-finals after beating Americans David Jordan and Francois Trawalter 6-0, 6-1. Cotterill and Lapthorne will now play top seeds and three-time Paralympic gold medallists Nick Taylor and David Wagner.
Gordon Reid and Marc McCarroll also reached the men's singles quarter-finals, while Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley eased into the women's singles quarter-finals.
Second seed Reid beat Brazilian Daniel Rodrigues 6-3, 6-3. The world No. 5 will now face seventh seed Yoshinobu Fujimoto for a place in the men's singles semi-finals.
Fifth seed McCarroll beat Philippe Bedard of Canada 6-2, 6-1 to earn a quarter-final against French third seed Michael Jeremiasz.
Second seed and world No. 5 Shuker opened her bid to reach her second successive Atlanta Open women's final by powering past Emanuelle Morch of France 6-1, 6-0 to set up a last eight contest against Chilean sixth seed Francisca Mardones.
Fifth seed Whiley also enjoyed a comfortable win over a French opponent, beating Emilie Chene 6-2, 6-0. World No. 12 Whiley now faces fourth seed Katharina Kruger of Germany, the player ranked immiediately above the Brit In the world rankings.
View draws and results here (link opens in new window).
30/04/13
In his first tournament since beating world No. 1 Shingo Kunieda and reaching his second Super Series final at the South African Open, world No. 6 Gordon Reid joins Marc McCarroll in the line-up for the men's singles at this week's ITF 1 Series event.
Andy Lapthorne won his first Super Series quad singles title three weeks ago in South Africa and the world No. 2 joins fellow Brit Antony Cotterill in the quad singles and doubles events, with the USA's London 2012 medallists Nick Taylor and David Wagner also among the main contenders.
A year on from winning their first ITF 1 Series doubles title together in Atlanta, Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley return to the tournament, where Shuker will also aim to reach the women's singles final for the second successive year.
View draws and results here (link opens in new window).