16/03/14
Local favourite and top seed Alex Jewitt earned a successful defence of his men’s singles title and added the men’s doubles title with fellow Brit Ed Holt as the Sheffield Wheelchair Tennis Tournament drew to an end on Sunday at Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre.
As in 2013, Sheffield’s two-time Paralympian prevailed in three sets in the men’s singles final, this time bouncing back to record a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over young Austrian second seed Nico Langmann. Jewitt had also come from a set down to win his semi-final.
Jewitt had been a semi-finalist in the men’s doubles in 2013, when Sheffield hosted its first ITF Futures event on the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour, but he and Holt teamed up to lift the title this time as the second seeds held off top seeds Tony Knappett of Great Britain and Pim Palmen of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-4.
“I’m very, very pleased to win again and retain my unbeaten singles record at my home tennis centre and delighted to add the doubles title,” said Jewitt. “It was a very tight match against Nico and I think he’s going to become a really good player, but I think my extra experience was the telling factor today.”
Earlier in the tournament Brits Keith Thom and John Lambert bowed out to Jewitt and Palmen, respectively, in the first round of the men’s singles and Thom and Lambert went on to contest the men’s consolation singles final, with Lambert earning a 6-0, 6-3 victory. Meanwhile, Britain’s Keith Whiley claimed his second men’s second draw singles title of the season after dropping a total of just five games across his four round-robin matches.
15/03/14
Top seed Alex Jewitt and second seed Nico Langmann will contest Sunday’s men’s singles final in Sheffield after the quarter-finals and semi-finals all took place on the second and penultimate day of play.
Top seed Jewitt eased through his quarter-final against fellow Brit Steve Metcalfe 6-1, 6-0, while Dutch fourth seed Pim Palmen earned a 6-2, 6-3 win over Scott Smith and second seed Nico Langmann and third seed Ed Holt both dropped just three games apiece.
Both finalists then came from a set down in their respective semifinals, Jewitt finishing strongly to defeat Palmen 2-6, 6-0, 6-0, while Austria’s Langmann clinched a hard-won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Britain’s Holt.
Jewitt will also feature in the men’s doubles final after partnering Holt to a 6-2, 6-2 win over fellow Brits John Lambert and Keith Whiley. The second seeds will face top seeds Tony Knappett and Palmen in the final following Knappett and Palmen’s victory over Steve Crompton and Langmann, also by a score of 6-2, 6-2.
14/03/14
Dutch fourth seed Pim Palmen had the toughest first round match of all the men’s singles players on the opening day of play in Sheffield, but there were few surprises as the quarter-finalists were decided.
Palmen fought back from a set down to beat John Lambert 6-7(2) 6-2 6-3, thereby earning a place in the last eight against Scott Smith, one of six Brits who will contest the quarter-finals. Sheffield top seed Alex Jewiitt opened his men’s singles title defence with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Scotland’s Keith Thom and Jewitt moves on to play Steve Metcalfe in one of the two all-British quarter-finals.
After first round straight sets wins, third seed Ed Holt and former GB international Tony Knappett will also meet for a place in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Austrian second seed Nico Langmann defeated Britain’s Glen Gent 6-3, 6-2 to book a quarter-final against Steve Crompton after Crompton won his all-British match against Craig Nicholson 6-4, 6-0.
The start of the men’s doubles resulted in two thrilling climaxes as Crompton and Langmann edged out Ireland’s Gareth Greene and Brit Mehboob Hussain 6-4, 4-6, (14-12) to earn a semi-final against top seeds Knappett and Palmen. Meanwhile, Lambert and Keith Whiley earned a 6-0, 1-6, (10-5) win over Gent and Smith and will go on to play second seeds Holt and Jewitt for a place in the men’s doubles final.
13/03/14
Top seed and defending champion Alex Jewitt will face Scot Keith Thom in one of five all-British first round men’s singles matches on Friday’s opening day of the Sheffield Wheelchair Tennis Tournament.
Local favourite Jewitt is drawn in the same half of the draw as Dutch Fourth seed Pim Palmen and, should he beat Thom, will play either Steve Metcalfe or James Shaw in another all-British contest in the quarter-finals. Palmen’s first round opponent is experienced Brit John Lambert.
In the bottom half of the draw Austrian second seed Nico Langmann will play Brit Glen Gent in his opening match, while third seed Ed Holt takes on Mehboob Hussain in another all-British contest and Ireland’s Gareth Greene faces former GB international Tony Knappett.
11/03/14
Sheffield’s two-time Paralympian Alex Jewitt we will be aiming for a second successive win on home soil this weekend when the Sheffield Wheelchair Tennis Tournament takes place at Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th March
Players from five different countries will contest the ITF Futures Series tournament, which gained world ranking status for the first time in 2013 and is one of nine international wheelchair tennis tournaments either organised by or supported by the Tennis Foundation this year.
Jewitt is set to be the top seed for the men’s singles this year, while fellow Brit Ed Holt will be the fourth seed. Dutchman Pim Palmen and Austria’s Nico Langmann are also among the four seeds, while Ireland’s Gareth Greene and Rafael Patronidis of Greece also feature in the international field.
“To win Sheffield’s first ever international wheelchair tennis tournament in 2013 in what was only my second tournament after becoming a father the previous December and to have my young family watching me do it was very, very special. I really want to retain the title and hopefully add the doubles title this year, too,” said Jewitt, who is currently unbeaten at his home training venue after also previously winning a series of Tennis Foundation Development Series tournaments at Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre, which is operated by Sheffield International Venues (SIV).
“It’s always special to win at home and at the tennis centre where I first discovered wheelchair tennis 15 years ago and where I’ve been based ever since. There are plenty of up-and-coming talents in the field, but hopefully my experience can help me through to another win.”
Jewitt first watched wheelchair tennis at Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre in 1998 when the venue was hosting the National Wheelchair Tennis Championships in the same week that he came home from hospital after an industrial accident. He went on to become National champion himself in 2010 and has also represented ParalympicsGB at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Paralympic Games as well as at a representing Great Britain in a series of World Team Cups.
Mark Cowen, general manager of Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre, said: “We are delighted to be hosting this high-profile international wheelchair tennis tournament once again. It should be a great spectacle with some top players on show in Sheffield.
“Graves is proud to be the home training venue for Alex Jewitt and we wish him the best of luck defending his title this weekend.”
Entry is free for spectators and further information can be found at www.SheffieldWCTT.org.uk/.