18/05/14
David Phillipson brought British interest in the Open de Vendee to a close on the last day of the ITF 3 Series event when he finished runner-up to world No. 9 Nicolas Peifer of France in the men's singles.
In his first tournament of 2014 British No. 3 Phillipson put in a promising performance against Peifer, but the French top seed just had the edge to clinch the title 7-5, 6-3.
17/05/14
David Phillipson reached the men’s singles final on the penultimate day of play in La Roche sur Yon as Luz Esperanza Merry clinched victory in the women’s consolation singles.
Second seed Phillipson dug deep to reach the men’s singles final on his seasonal reappearance, winning the important points to earn a 7-5, 6-4 semi-final victory over former world No. 1 and two-time ITF World Champion Laurent Giammartini of France. Phillipson now faces a tough contest against another Frenchman, current world No. 9 Nicolas Peifer.
Merry beat a higher ranked player for the second day in succession when defeating Dutchwoman Marlise Peters 6-3, 6-2 in the women’s consolation singles final.
Second seeds Phillipson and Holt finished runners-up in the men’s doubles to top seeds Giammartini and Peifer, who won the final 6-2, 6-2. Meanwhile Merry and her Dutch partner Mieke van Chastelet were also runners-up in the women’s doubles after French top seeds Emilie Chene and Pauline Helouin took the title
Holt produced a good effort in his men’s consolation singles semi-final, but was eventually edged out 7-5, 6-4 by Italy’s Luca Spano.
16/05/14
David Philiipson has secured his place in the men singles semi-finals and partnered fellow Brit Ed Holt to the men’s doubles final after the first two days of play in France, while Luz Esperanza Merry has reached the women’s doubles final.
Second seed Phillipson’s dropped just three games en route to the last four of the men’s singles after beating Frenchmen Laurent Everaert 6-0, 6-1 and Nicolas Vanlerberghe 6-1, 6-1. The British No. 3, who is making his seasonal debut, will now play his third successive French opponent when he faces former world No. 1 Laurent Gianmartini.
Phillipson and Holt are second seeds for the men’s doubles and after a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Belgium’s Roland de Meersman and Gert Vos they defeated French duo David Dalmasso and Gaetan Menguy 7-6, 6-0 to reach the final.
Merry and the Netherlands’ Mieke van Chastelet are also second seeds for the women’s doubles and were involved in a tense semi-final, eventually beating the French-Dutch partnership Evelyne Claverie and Marlise Peters 6-1, 5-7, (10-8) after a championship tie-break.
Merry was drawn against Chastelet in the first round of the women’s singles and the Dutch player advanced 6-1, 6-1. Thirteen-year-old Merry then beat higher ranked Swiss player Annabelle Ribeaud 6-2, 6-1 to earn her place in the consolation final against Peters.
Holt opened his men’s singles challenge against Vanlerberghe in fine form before the Frenchman progressed 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, but Holt went on to defeat Everaert 6-2, 6-3 and now faces Italy’s Luca Spano in the consolation semi-finals. Fellow Brit Paul Stewart saw his singles challenge come to an after a 6-1, 6-1 loss to former Paralympic doubles medallist Eric Stuurman of the Netherlands before Spano fought back from a set down to beat the Brit 3-6 , 7-6, 6-2 in the consolation quarter-finals.