Wanborough’s Louise goes into next week’s British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships in Nottingham in fine form after ensuring back-to-back women’s singles and doubles titles this week at the Rezidencija Open in Zagreb, Croatia.
Hunt’s first match of the week in Zagreb proved to be her toughest, but she still eased past her doubles partner and fellow Brit Luz Esperanza Merry before dropping just three games to both Turkey’s Busra Un and second seed Pauline Helouin of France in the women’s singles semi-final and final, respectively
Hunt and 13-year-old Merry, one of the most recent additions to the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme, clinched their first doubles title together and following a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Turkey’s Julide Ylidiz and Nursen Sen they were rarely troubled when beating top seeds Helouin and Australia’s Janel Manns 6-1, 6-1 in the final.
“I’m really enjoying my tennis and I’m feeling very confident going to Nottingham after a great few weeks,” said Hunt, the British No. 3 and current world No. 18, who also won the women’s singles and doubles titles at the Open Memorial Santi Silvas in Olot, Spain, last month. “The British Open is a Super Series event, which means it’s one of the top six tournaments in the world outside of the Grand Slams and attracts many of the world’s top 10 players. While I’ve got to the last 16 on several occasions and did so last year, but hopefully I’ll get a good draw this time and can challenge for a place in the quarter-finals.”
Among the players that Hunt could yet meet in Nottingham is Germany’s world No. 9 Katharina Kruger, who the Wiltshire player will also partner in the women’s doubles. Hunt and Kruger won the women’s doubles at the USTA Desert Classic in Tucson, Arizona in March.
The British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships take place from 15 - 20 July at Nottingham Tennis Centre