23/11/14
Top seeds Gordon Reid and Jiske Griffioen defended their men’s and women’s singles titles in ruthless fashion at the Nottingham Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Tournament on Sunday.
Britain’s Reid, 23, made light work of Sweden’s former world No. 2 Olsson, clinching the decider 6-0, 6-1 to add to his 2011 and 2013 title successes.
World No.2 Griffioen of the Netherlands overcame British No. 1 Jordanne Whiley 6-0, 6-4 to clinch her third successive and fourth overall Nottingham Indoor women’s crown.
For Reid and Griffioen, victory at Nottingham Tennis Centre came as a glorious way to warm-up for the year-end NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters, which starts on Wednesday at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London.
“I’m really pleased with the way I played - that is exactly the way I want to play next week,” said world No. 3 Reid. “I just hope I haven’t peaked a little bit too soon. The way I played there doesn’t surprise me because I do it consistently in training. The hardest thing about tennis is putting what you do in practice into match play situations – I did it perfectly today. I have convinced myself that I can do it in matches in a pressure situation because that was a final match against a player in really good form.”
British No. 1 Reid missed out on clinching the doubles title on his return to the court just hours later, as he and France’s Michael Jeremiasz were beaten 6-4, 6-3 by top seeds Joachim Gerard of Belgium and Nicolas Peifer of France.
Meanwhile, Griffioen was pleased to warm-up for her return to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where she won her first individual Paralympic medal at London 2012, by continuing her three-year winning run at the Nottingham Indoors.
“We worked on some things that I will definitely use next week at the Masters and I feel good, so I’m ready for it,” she said.
Calendar-year Grand Slam winner Whiley, who teamed up to with fellow Brit Lucy Shuker to win Saturday’s women’s doubles final, admits she struggled to recover from a slow start.
“I did well in the second set and brought it back a little bit, but I couldn’t find my rhythm today,” said world No. 6 Whiley, who will go to the NEC Masters bidding to progress beyond the round-robin phase of the competition for the second successive year. She became the first Brit to reach the women’s singles semi-finals at the prestigious event in 2013.
The last remaining tickets for the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters in London are available here from just £10 with kids going free and a special 2 for 1 offer to go up the ArcelorMittal Orbit and make the most of your day in the Olympic Park.
22/11/14
Brits Andy Lapthorne and Jamie Burdekin clinched the Nottingham Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Tournament quad doubles crown, while compatriots Jordanne Whiley and Gordon Reid advanced to Sunday’s men’s and women’s singles deciders during the penultimate day of action at Nottingham Tennis Centre.
Calendar-year Grand Slam winner and British No. 1 Whiley will be looking to add to the doubles title which she won with Lucy Shuker on Saturday when she takes on two-time defending champion Jiske Griffioen of the Netherlands on Sunday.
The London 2012 Paralympic bronze medal winning pair of Shuker and Whiley, competing together for the first time since being finalists at the British Open at the same venue in July, beat South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane and the USA’s Kaitlyn Verfuerth 6-4, 7-5.
“It was a good win and nice to win a title with Jordanne again,” said Shuker.
“Our games really complement each other and I’m chuffed to end the season with that doubles victory.”
Whiley had earlier beaten German fourth seed Katharina Kruger 6-2, 6-2 in her women’s singles semi-final.
Meanwhile, in a gruelling decider Lapthorne and Burdekin fought back from 5-2 down and saved five match points in the third set to overcome Australia’s Dylan Alcott and fellow Brit Antony Cotterill 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(2) in their quad doubles final.
Victory was particularly sweet for US Open champion Lapthorne who had earlier been beaten by British Open champion Alcott in the singles decider 6-2, 6-1.
“It was a tough singles,” said Lapthorne. “To come back from match points down and win the doubles is a great feeling and showed good character.
“If I lost that match this day would have been a downer, hopefully this gives me momentum for the Masters in my home city of London next week.”
World No. 3 Reid is one game away from defending his Nottingham Indoor title and faces Sweden’s former world No. 2 Stefan Olsson on Sunday after fighting back to beat Belgian third seed Joachim Gerard 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
With the year-end NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters being held at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London next week, the semi-final win over Gerard was all the more significant.
“I’m pleased with the way I managed to get myself out of a bit of a hole and turn the match around by starting to play some really good tennis,” said 23-year-old Reid.
“Jo is one of those players who is going to be there for the Masters next week and I could potentially be playing him, so it was nice to get this win in Nottingham.
In other results, Korea’s Ho Won Im beat Pim Palmen 6-4, 6-2 in the men’s consolation final.
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21/11/2014
Two-time defending champion Andy Lapthorne faces Australia’s Dylan Alcott in Saturday’s quad singles final at the Nottingham Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Tournament after beating fellow Brit Jamie Burdekin on Friday’s third day of play.
US Open winner and world No. 2 Lapthorne eased into the decider after Burdekin retired through illness after losing the first set of their semi-final 6-2.
“It’s not the way you like to progress, but I’m focusing on the final now and trying to get a bid result heading into the Masters next week,” said Lapthorne
World No. 4 Alcott beat South African second seed Lucas Sithole 6-3, 6-2 to set up a repeat of July’s British Open final at Nottingham Tennis Centre, when the former Paralympic wheelchair basketball gold medallist overcame Lapthorne to win his first Super Series crown.
“Hopefully I can come up with the same result on Saturday,” said 23-year-old Alcott.
The two singles finalists will also do battle in the doubles decider, with Lapthorne teaming up with Burdekin and Alcott partnering Brit Antony Cotterill.
With Alcott joining Lapthorne and Sithole at the year-end NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters in London next week, the Australian is looking to build momentum after 10 weeks on the training court.
“I’m a lot fitter and stronger than I’ve ever been, so I hope to convert that into results,” Alcott said.
Men’s top seed and reigning champion Gordon Reid faces Belgium’s Joachim Gerard in Saturday’s semi-finals after getting the better of fellow Brit Marc McCarroll 6-4, 6-1.
“I’m playing the way I want in patches, so I’m really looking for more consistency in the semis.” said world No. 3 Reid.
Former Nottingham Indoor champion Gerard overcame Michael Jeremiasz 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 to book a meeting with 2011 and 2013 winner Reid.
Former world No. 2 Stefan Olsson is the last remaining unseeded player in the competition after fighting back to beat French fifth seed Nicolas Peifer 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.
Olsson, who represented Sweden in ice sledge hockey at the Sochi Winter Paralymps earlier this year, takes on Tom Egberink after the world No. 10 ranked Dutchman also upset second seed Gustavo Fernandez 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
World No. 2 Jiske Griffioen moved to within two matches of what would be a successful women’s singles title defence in the East Midlands without dropping a game, beating Kaitlyn Verfuerth of the United States to set up a semi-final meeting with South African third seed Kgothatso Montjane.
Griffioen was the last remaining women’s semi-finalist to be decided. Saturday’s other semi-final sees British No. 1 and world No. 6 Jordanne Whiley take on Germany fourth seed Katharina Kruger.
Whiley will also be fighting it out for the doubles crown in Nottingham, partnering her 2012 London Paralympic bronze medal-winning teammate Lucy Shuker against second seeds Montjane and Verfuerth. Top seeds Shuker and Whiley are the defending champions.
20/11/2014
British women’s No. 1 Jordanne Whiley and defending quad champion Andy Lapthorne have reached the semi-finals of the Nottingham Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Tournament.
Calendar-year Grand Slam winner and second seed Whiley fought past France’s Charlotte Famin 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2) at Nottingham Tennis Centre less than 24 hours after her red carpet appearance at the Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswoman of the Year Awards in London.
“I felt a bit tired out there and she played well, but I’m looking to improve as the week goes on,” said Whiley, one of three women’s singles entries in Nottingham heading to next week’s NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters.
Whiley faces German fourth seed Katharina Kruger in the last four on Saturday, while two-time defending champion Jiske Griffioen faces the USA’s Kaitlyn Verfuerth on Friday for the chance to take on Kgothatso Montjane in the semi-finals after the South African beat Britain’s Lucy Shuker in two tense sets 7-5, 7-6(5).
US Open champion and world No. 2 Lapthorne will battle it out with British No. 2 and world No. 5 Jamie Burdekin for a place in Saturday's final after easing past Adam Field 6-1, 6-2.
Burdekin beat Nottinghamshire’s James Shaw to set up the meeting with world No. 2 Lapthorne, who he partnered to finish runners-up at the recent Doubles Masters in California.
“It is a good match-up against Jamie, there are always good rallies, but playing against your doubles partner is not the easiest thing,” Lapthorne said.
Second seed Lucas Sithole of South Africa and Australia’s Dylan Alcott, who won the British Open in Nottingham earlier this year, face each other in the other semi-final.
Elsewhere, men’s top seed Gordon Reid faces Marc McCarroll in an all-British quarter-final after Reid won his all-British second round match against world No. 1 junior Alfie Hewett 6-4, 6-1.
The pair met at the same stage last season with British No. 1 Reid going on to win his second Nottingham Indoor crown.
Dutchman Tom Egberink ended the hopes of Nottinghamshire’s David Phillipson with a 7-5, 6-3 win to book a quarter-final meeting with Argentine second seed Gustavo Fernandez.
Belgium’s Joachim Gerard, who claimed the 2010 title, takes on Michael Jeremiasz of France on Thursday after easing past Brit Glen Gent in straight sets.
Former world No. 2 Stefan Olsson was the third previous Nottingham Indoor men’s winner to get through to the last eight, after the unseeded Swede battled past three-time former champion and fourth seed Maikel Scheffers 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Olsson faces fifth seed Nicolas Peifer in the next round.
In men’s doubles action, the team of Reid and Jeremiasz take on Egberink and Scheffers, while top seeds Gerard and Peifer face Hewett and McCarroll.
The duo of Shaw and Field beat Sam Schroeder and Sophie Fraioli to book a quad doubles semi-final showdown against fellow Brits Burdekin and Lapthorne.
19/11/14
British teenager Alfie Hewett eased passed Korea's Ho Won Im to set up a second-round meeting with the nation's No. 1 Gordon Reid at the Nottingham Indoor Wheelchair Tournament on Thursday’s first day of play.
Hewett, 16, the world's top junior, was among four British players to advance in the men’s singles at Nottingham Tennis Centre, with David Phillipson, Glen Gent and Tony Knappett starting their campaigns with straight sets wins.
Both Reid and British No. 2 Marc McCarroll were given first-round byes as seeded players at the East Midlands tournament.
Hewett overcame Im 6-2 6-1 to progress to the last 16 for the first time since reaching the quarter-final of the ITF Series 1 event in 2012.
World No. 3 Reid is yet to lose a set to Hewett in three previous competitive encounters, with the defending Nottingham Indoor men's champion most recently beating the teenager in the final of the Bolton Arena Indoor Wheelchair Tennis event in February.
"It will be a tough match next against Gordon," said Hewett.
"I find it quite tough when playing against friends and people that you know because they are aware of your weaknesses and strengths, just as you know theirs.
"I just have to try and relax and not get caught up with the occasion too much."
McCarroll begins his tournament against Italy's Silviu Culea, while Phillipson takes on Dutchman Tom Egberink, Gent faces Belgium third seed Joachim Gerard and Knappett meets Argentina's world No. 4 Gustavo Fernandez.
Elsewhere, there are two all-British quad singles quarter-final meetings as Adam Field takes on Nottingham Indoor title holder, world No. 3 and 2014 US Open champion Andy Lapthorne, while Nottinghamshire's James Shaw faces world No. 5 Jamie Burdekin.
Britain’s Antony Cotterill will play world No. 4 Dylan Alcott of Australia after Cotterill won the only three set match of the day, beating Israel’s Haim Lev 6-2, 0-6, 6-3.
In the men's doubles quarter-finals, Hewett teamed up with McCarroll to beat Knappett and Pim Palmen in straight sets.
The British pairing are joined by duo of Im and Rody De Bie and team of Culea and Marco Eggink in the last four, while Stefan Olsson and Phillipson take on Egberink and Maikel Scheffers for the final semi-final spot.
Women's British No. 1 and world No. 6 Jordanne Whiley gets her tournament underway on Thursday against France's Charlotte Famin, when the majority of the 11 players heading from Nottingham to next week’s NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, also start their campaigns.
18/11/14
Britain's top two men's players Gordon Reid and Marc McCarroll are on course to face each other in the quarter-finals of the Nottingham Indoor, which starts on Wednesday.
The pair have both been awarded byes into the second round of the event at Nottingham Tennis Centre, with British No. 1 and defending champion Reid facing the winner of the first-round meeting between Korea’s Ho Won Im and Britain’s world No. 1 junior Alfie Hewett.
Meanwhile, McCarroll takes on either Silviu Culea of Italy or Dutchman Pim Palmen.
Elsewhere, 2013 Nottingham Indoor quad title winner and 2014 US Open champion Andy Lapthorne will take on the winner of the first-round meeting between Adam Field and Sam Schroeder.
Victory would set up a probable semi-final meeting with British No. 2 Jamie Burdekin.
Women's world No. 2 Jiske Griffioen will start her title defence in the quarter-finals, with British No. 1 Jordanne Whiley also getting a bye into the second stage of the ITF Series 1 event.
17/11/14
Great Britain’s Jordanne Whiley, Gordon Reid and Andy Lapthorne head a strong home contingent for the Nottingham Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Tournament, which takes places at Nottingham Tennis Centre on 19 - 23 November.
The ITF 1 Series event is the first leg of an international wheelchair tennis double-header in Great Britain, with Whiley, Reid and Lapthorne among 11 players heading straight from Nottingham to Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London to be among the 20-strong field for the 2014 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters on 26 – 30 November.
World No. 6 Whiley, a former Nottingham Indoor women’s singles champion, goes into this year’s tournament on the back of being named the LTA’s Aegon Player of the Year last week after becoming the first British Tennis player in history to complete a calendar year Grand Slam.
Whiley and her Japanese partner Yui Kamiji recently added to their collection of all four Grand Slam doubles titles this season when they successfully retained their women’s title at the UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters in California, where Reid and Lapthorne were also finalists.
“I’m very honoured and proud to named Aegon Player of the Year,” said Whiley. “It’s been a remarkable season so far and I’m very proud of what me and Yui have achieved and for the added spotlight it’s brought to wheelchair tennis. But I don’t plan for it to stop here. I’ve got two big targets left and I am out to regain the Nottingham Indoor title ahead of the NEC Masters.”
Sixteen of the world’s top 10 ranked men’s, women’s and quad singles players will line up for the Nottingham Indoor, including world No. 3 and men’s title holder Reid, who was recently named Tennis Scotland International Player of the Year.
Reid and Dutch world No. 6 Maikel Scheffers – who have contested the men’s final in Nottingham for each of the past three years – are joined by Belgium’s Joachim Gerard, Argentinian world No. 4 Gustavo Fernandez and world No.7 Nicolas Peifer of France in the quest for this year’s title.
Whiley and Dutch world No. 2 Jiske Griffioen, who won her second Nottingham Indoor title in 2013, are among three world top eight ranked women’s singles players en route to the NEC Masters along with South Africa’s world No. 8 Kgothatso Montjane.
Meanwhile, US Open champion and world No. 2 Lapthorne, who finished runner-up in the quad singles to Australia’s Dylan Alcott at the British Open in Nottingham in July, joins Alcott and South Africa’s world No. 3 Lucas Sithole in one of the highest quality fields to contest the Nottingham Indoor title. All three players will also then travel to London for the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters.
Organised by the Tennis Foundation, the Nottingham Indoor is an ITF 1 Series event on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour and is supported by Nottingham City Council. Entry is free to all spectators.