23/03/14
British players won three titles at the Cajun Classic Wheelchair Tennis Tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana over the weekend, with Jamie Burdekin claiming his first ITF 1 Series quad singles title, Gordon Reid winning the men’s singles and Jordanne Whiley partnering South African’s Kgothatso Montjane to win the women’s doubles.
Burdekin, who went into the tournament world ranked No. 7, beat American world No. 1 David Wagner for the second time in his career in the quad singles final. Burdekin prevailed 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-3 against the defending champion, having beaten Canadian world No. 4 and second seed Sarah Hunter in the quarter-finals and American fourth seed Nick Taylor in the semi-finals.
“I'm made up, just pinch me,” said Burdekin, who has now beaten the world’s current top two ranked players this season. “It took more than three and a half hours and was one of the best matches I've ever been involved in. All the hard work in training is paying off. I feel mentally stronger and love problem solving on court.”
World No. 3 Reid claimed the third ITF 1 Series men’s singles title of his career after 6-2, 6-2 victory over Argentinian world No. 5 and defending champion Gustavo Fernandez. It was Reid’s third singles title of 2014 after winning his first Super Series title at the Sydney International in January and then adding the ITF 2 Series Bolton Indoor title last month.
"I’m really happy to take down the title here in Baton Rouge, but don’t think I played my best tennis. I feel as though things are starting to go in the right direction and if I play like I know I can, there'll be no stopping me,” said Reid.
“There's a lot to build on from this week and I'm looking forward to my next events. I'm also really pleased to complete the British double alongside my good friend Jamie Burdekin winning the quad title.”
Whiley and South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane claimed their second career title together after a thrilling women’s doubles final that also featured Whiley’s London 2012 bronze medal-winning partner Lucy Shuker.
Top seeds Whiley and Montjane defeated Shuker and Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock, the third seeds, 7-6(3), 3-6, (11-9) after a deciding championship tie-break, with Whiley winning her fourth successive doubles title this season. Shuker and Ellerbrock had beaten Dutch second seeds Marjolein Buis and Aniek van Koot in straight sets in the semi-finals.
Photo: William Greiner
Burdekin also finished runner-up in the quad doubles, partnering Australia’s Dylan Alcott. In another close contest Burdekin and Alcott were edged out by top seeds Taylor and Wagner, who retained their title 7-6(5), 6-3.
Burdekin, Reid, Whiley and Shuker will now be among Britain’s leading players on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme contesting this week’s Pensacola Open, the second of back-to-back ITF 1 Series events on the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which begins on Wednesda
Cajun Classic Final Draws
22/03/14
Jamie Burdekin beat American world No. 1 David Wagner for the second time in his career on Saturday to win his first ITF 1 Series quad singles title at the Cajun Classic, while Gordon Reid reached the men’s singles final and Jordanne Whiley and Lucy Shuker both moved into the women’s doubles final with their respective partners to guarantee a British winner in the event.
World No. 7 Burdekin beat Wagner 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-3, having defeated Canadian world No. 4 and second seed Sarah Hunter of Canada in the quarter-finals and American fourth seed Nick Taylor in the semi-finals.
Top seed Reid beat Dutch fourth seed Maikel Scheffers 6-2, 6-1 in his men’s singles semi-final, securing his fifth career win over the world No. 6. World No. 3 Reid will now face Argentina’s defending champion and world No. 5 Gustavo Fernandez in Sunday’s final.
Top seeds Whiley and Kgothatso Montjane of South Africa beat fourth seeds Jiske Griffioen of the Netherlands and Francisca Mardones of Chile 7-5, 6-0 in the women’s doubles semi-finals. Whiley and Montjane will now play third seeds Shuker and Sabine Ellerbrock of Germany in the final after Shuker and Ellerbrock edged out Dutch second seeds Marjolein Buis and Aniek van Koot 6-4, 7-6(4).
After his singles triumph Burdekin also finished runner-up in the quad doubles. The Brit partnered Australia’s Dylan Alcott to the final and the unseeded duo were involved in another close contest against top seeds and defending champions Taylor and Wagner, but the American duo eventually prevailed 7-6(5), 6-3.
Reid and fellow Brit Marc McCarroll bowed out of the men’s doubles in the semi-finals after the fourth seeds slipped to a 6-1, 6-1 loss to second seeds Joachim Gerard of Belgium and Nicolas Peifer of France. British No. 2 McCarroll will face Dutch former world No. 3 Ronald Vink in Sunday’s men consolation singles final after beating Brazil’s Daniel Rodrigues 6-1, 6-3 in their semi-final.
21/03/14
Jamie Burdekin reached his second Cajun Classic quad singles final on the third day of play in Baton Rouge and also booked a place in the quad doubles final as Gordon Reid moved into the men’s singles semi-finals and Jordanne Whiley joined Lucy Shuker in reaching the women’s doubles semi-finals.
World No. 7 Burdekin will face world No. 1 David Wagner for the third time in Baton Rouge after defeating Wagner’s fellow American and world No. 10 Nick Taylor 6-1, 4-6 6-3, avenging his loss to Taylor in the semi-finals in 2011. Burdekin was also a semi-finalist in Baton Rouge in 2012 and 2013 against Wagner after the two players had also met in the 2009 final.
Burdekin and Australia’s Dylan Alcott secured a 6-4, 6-0 semi-final win over Canadians Adrian Dieleman and Robert Shaw in the quad doubles and will meet defending champions and top seeds Taylor and Wagner in the final.
Top seed Reid ended Nicolas Peifer’s hopes of reaching a second successive Cajun Classic men’s singles final after beating the French sixth seed 6-1, 6-2. World No. 3 Reid will play Dutch fourth seed Maikel Scheffers for a place in the final.
Top seeds Whiley and South Africa’ s Kgotahtso Montjane eased to a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Frenchwoman Emmanuelle Morch and her Dutch partner Michaela Spaanstra in the women’s doubles quarter-finals. Whiley and Montjane will play fourth seeds Jiske Griffioen of the Netherlands and Chile’s Francisca Mardones in the semi-finals. With Shuker and Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock already in the semi-finals, they are set to face Dutch second seeds Marjolein Buis and Aniek van Koot for a place in the final after Buis and van Koot ended Louise’s Hunt hopes of back-to-back doubles titles with Germany’s Katharina Kruger. Buis and van Koot won their quarter-final 6-2, 6-4.
However, Whiley and Shuker both bowed out of the women’s singles in the last eight, fifth seed Whiley putting up a fine effort against world No. 1 Ellerbrock before the German prevailed 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2, with seventh seed Shuker slipping to a 6-3, 6-2 loss to van Koot.
Marc McCarroll will play Brazil’s Daniel Rodrigues in the semi-finals of the men’s consolation singles after beating Brazil’s Mauricio Pomme 6-0, 6-3, but Antony Cotterrill bowed out in the semi-finals of the quad consolation singles to American Bryan Barten.
20/03/14
Jamie Burdekin secured a place in the quad singles and doubles semi-finals on the second day in Baton Rouge, while Gordon Reid moved into the men’s singles quarter-finals and partnered Marc McCarroll to the men’s doubles semi-finals. Lucy Shuker and Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock also reached the women’s doubles semi-finals.
World No. 7 Burdekin beat world No. 4 and second seed Sarah Hunter 6-3, 6-2 to earn a semi-final against American world No. 10 and fourth seed Nick Taylor. Burdekin and Australia’s Dylan Alcott also overcame seeded opposition in the quad doubles, beating American second seeds Bryan Barten and Greg Hasterok 6-3, 6-2 to earn a semifinal against Canadians Adrian Dieleman and Robert Shaw.
Top seed Reid eased to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Argentina’s Ezequiel Casco as he began his men’s singles challenge. The world No. 3 will now play French sixth seed Nicolas Peifer for a place in the semi-finals. Reid also partnered McCarroll to beat Australia’s Adam Kellerman and Ben Weekes 6-3, 6-2. The fourth seeds will play second seeds Joachim Gerard of Belgium and Peifer for a place in the men’s doubles final.
Shuker and Ellerbrock beat Americans Shelby Baron and Emmy Kaiser 6-4, 6-0 In the women’s doubles. With Louise Hunt and Germany’s Katharina Kruger, last week’s Desert Classic doubles winners, also wining their opening match in Baton Rouge against Chile’s Macarena Cabrillana and Japan’s Miho Nijo 6-4, 6-3, third seeds Shuker and Ellerbrock will now face either Hunt and Kruger or Dutch second seeds Buis and Aniek van Koot.
However, despite a fine effort against Dutch fourth seed and world No. 5 Buis in the women’s singles, Hunt bowed out 6-3, 6-3.
Antony Cotterill will face American Bryan Barten in the semi-finals of the quad consolation singles after a walkover in his opening match. However, Cotterill and Guatemala’s Julio Rueda bowed out 6-0, 6-0 against American second seeds Nick Taylor and David Wagner.
19/03/14
Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley reached the women’s singles quarter-finals on the opening day of play in Baton Rouge, while Jamie Burdekin moved into the last eight of the quad singles and Marc McCarroll and Gordon Reid reached the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles.
Seventh seed Shuker eased past Elizabeth William 6-0, 6-0, with fifth seed Whiley earning a 6-2, 6-2 win over Emmy Kaiser as Both Brits defeated American opposition. Louise Hunt also got off to a winning start, beating Willemein Smits 6-1, 6-1. Hunt will now have a second match against a Dutch opponent when she takes on world No. 5 Marjolein Buis in a bid to join Shuker and Whiley in the last eight. Whiley is set to play Germany’s world No. 1 Sabine Ellerbrock or Japan’s Miho Nijo in her bid to reach the semi-finals, with Shuker facing Dutch world No. 4 and defending champion Aniek van Koot.
Burdekin earned a 6-3, 6-4 win over American Bryan Barten to book his place in the quad singles quarter-finals against Canadian world No. 4 and second seed Sarah Hunter, who beat Antony Cotterill 6-4, 6-4. Marc McCarroll also went out of the men’s singles after slipping to a 6-0, 6-4 loss to Japan’s Takuya Miki. After his first round bye, top seed Gordon Reid will begin his campaign against Argentina’s Ezequiel Casco.
Fourth seeds McCarroll and Reid opened their men’s doubles challenge with a 60 61 win over Americans David Eads and Hunter Groce, earning a quarter-final against Australia’s Adam Kellerman and Ben Weekes.
18/03/14
Seven of Britain’s leading players contest the first of two back-to-back ITF 1 Series events in the USA, with Gordon Reid and Marc McCarroll in the men’s singles and doubles, Jordanne Whiley, Lucy Shuker and Louise Hunt in the women’s singles and doubles. Jamie Burdekin and Antony Cotterill will also be among the world top 10 ranked players in the quad singles and doubles.
World No. 3 Reid is top seed for the men’s singles and has a bye into the last 16, while McCarroll faces a tough opening match against world No. 8 Takuya Miki of Japan in which the British No. 2 will hope avenge his loss to Miki in last Sunday’s final at the Desert Classic in Arizona to join Reid in the second round.
Whiley and Shuker are fifth seed and seventh seed respectively for the women’s singles and also have byes into the last 16, where they will face Americans Emmy Kaiser and Elizabeth Williams respectively. After finishing runner-up in the women’s singles at the Desert Classic, Hunt will bid to join Whiley and Shuker in the second round when she takes on Dutchwoman Willemien Smits in her opening match.
Burdekin and Cotterill are among seven world top 10 ranked players in the quad singles, with Cotterill starting the tournament after rising to career best world ranking of No. 6 this week, just one place above Burdekin.