On the final day of play at the wheelchair tennis test event GB’s David Phillipson had to settle for the silver medal as top seed and world no.7 Robin Ammerlaan took gold in the men’s singles final.
The only other match of the day saw Alfie Hewett win the men’s consolation title defeating Josh Steels in the final.
Great Britain finished with a total of 4 gold medals.
Please find a final wrap here:
http://www.lta.org.uk/fans-major-events/Tournament-Calendar/2012/May/Eton-Manor-International/
The next tournaments for the British players on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour include the Japan Open Super Series, where they will have the last chance to collect ranking points toward Paralympic qualification. That is followed by the World Team Cup in Korea at the end of May, which is the Davis/Fed Cup equivalent in wheelchair tennis.
Bingham’s David Phillipson was the men’s singles silver medallist and a men’s doubles bronze medallist over the weekend at the Eton Manor Wheelchair Tennis International, the test event for September’s London 2012 Paralympic Games, in the Olympic Park.
Currently British No. 3, 23-year-old Phillipson, who was the only Brit to reach the men’s singles second round at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, was drawn in the all-British bottom half of the draw at Eton Manor and opened his campaign with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Paul Stewart before easing past British No. 5 Kevin Simpson 6-1, 6-2.
Third seed Phillipson then stepped up his game to overhaul British No. 1 and second seed Gordon Reid 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the semi-finals to secure just his sixth career win in international competition over the Scot and his second this season.
Phillipson faced a big task in the final against Athens 2004 Paralympic men’s singles gold medallist and world No. 7 Robin Ammerlaan, but led the Dutchman 2-1 going into the first change of ends. However, the vastly experienced Ammerlaan won the next five games to take the opening set en route to wrapping up a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
"I know I've got the quality and the skill to beat top players like Robin, but today it just didn't go for me and I wasn't consistent enough. But it was great to play on Centre Court at Eton Manor and I feel like I'll be well prepared come September if all goes well and I get picked for the team," said Phillipson.
In the men’s doubles Phillipson and Alex Jewitt had two all-British duos on the opposite side of the net in their first two matches, beating David Cabrera and Jamie Robinson 6-1, 6-1 but having their progress halted in the semi-finals by top seeds Marc McCarroll and Reid, who advanced to the gold medal match 6-3, 6-2. However, Phillipson and Jewitt recovered to dominate the bronze medal match against the young partnership of Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Rody de Bie of the Netherlands and eased to a 6-2, 6-1 victory.
The international qualification period for the London 2012 Paralympics ends on 20 May after next week's Japan Open.