12./08/14
Nick Smelt and Tracey Proudlock won the men’s and women’s singles as 10 players contested the latest Tennis Foundation Wheelchair Tennis Development Series tournament at the University of Kent Tennis Centre in Canterbury.
Hampshire’s former Development Series winner Steve Crompton topped his round-robin group in the men’s singles after beating Ruairi Logan 6-1, 7-5 and edging out Marc Francis 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, while Francis also advanced to the semi-final as runner-up in the group courtesy of his 6-4, 6-0 win over Logan.
Greg Shea, the winner of the Kent Development Series event in 2013, remained unbeaten in his two matches to top the other round-robin group, earning a narrow 6-3, 7-5 victory over Smelt as both players advanced to the semi-finals
Smelt, who played for Great Britain’s junior team at the World Team Cup earlier this year, ended Crompton’s bid to reach a fourth Development Series final in 2014 after winning their semifinal 6-4, 6-3, while Hertfordshire’s Francis ended Shea’s title defence 6-4, 6-0. But it was Smelt who ensured a local Kent victory after the Ashford 17-year-old clinched the final 6-3, 6-0.
Proudlock was unbeaten in all three of her women’s singles round-robin matches and took the title back home to London after defeating Jos Achner 6-4, 6-0, Beverley Grimes 6-3, 6-2 and Elizabeth Maynard 6-3, 6-0.
With the four women’s singles players pairing up with four of the men’s singles players for the doubles event, victory in the doubles went to the only all-male partnership as Smelt won his second title of the weekend after partnering Logan to win the final against Proudlock and Crompton 6-3.
Kent Wheelchair Tennis Development Series - Final Results