While the green grass of Wimbledon captivated tennis fans, and sports fans in general, around the world for a fortnight, there were other major tennis titles up for grabs around the world at the same time.
Antony Cotterill collected his first Super Series title when he became the French Open Wheelchair Tennis Doubles Champion in the Quad division with partner Andy Lapthorne. The final, the toughest possible test against Number 1 Seeds David Wagner and Greg Hasterok of the US, went the distance with the British pair eventually landing the trophy with a 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 win.
For Antony, who is currently ranked World Number 9 in Singles and 5 in Doubles, it was another landmark in what seems to be a real breakthrough year. He has already had another Super Series Final appearance in April in South Africa, and was part of the World Team Cup winning British Team, along with Lapthorne and Jamie Burdekin, in May. Next up in his schedule is another Super Series event, the British Open in Nottingham which starts on the 15th July, where another good showing could push his doubles ranking even higher.
Antony, from Penistone, South Yorks, who has his sights firmly set on a place at the Paralympics in Rio in 2016, trains in Loughborough with the Inside Out Tennis team where he works with National Wheelchair Coach Martyn Whait and other members of the coaching team. The coaching team back in the UK were ecstatic when they heard the news: Antony never takes anything for granted, though we all knew he had the ability to win on the biggest of stages. He’s a humble guy who works incredibly hard and his attitude is second to none. He was back on the practice courts within days of this result to start preparations for the next big event in Nottingham. We’d love to see him continue to build on his success, as we can’t think of anyone more deserving of it.
By Jonny Rudge - Inside Out Tennis