Norfolk and Lapthorne clinch second Super Series doubles
9th April 2012Peter Norfolk and Andy Lapthorne won the Florida Open quad doubles title as the second Super Series tournament on the 2012 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour drew to a close on Sunday in Boca Raton.
The second seeds, whose first career doubles title as a partnership came at the 2009 ITF1 Florida Open before it gained Super Series status, beat American top seeds and defending champions Nick Taylor and David Wagner 6-3, 6-1.
The win is their second Super Series crown after also claiming the 2011 British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships title last July.
After a bye in the first round, the pair made quick progress defeating Canadian duo Adrian Dieleman and Gary Luker 6-2, 6-4 before easing past fellow Brit Jamie Burdekin and Israel's Noam Gershony 6-2, 6-1 to reach the final.
World No.1 Norfolk also finished as runner-up in the quad singles, falling just short of a seventh Florida Open singles title as he lost out 6-4, 6-1 to world No.2 Wagner.
"I'm thrilled to have picked up another Super Series title with Andy after we won at British Open last year and it's a good way to end our American tour and continue our preparations for London 2012," said double Paralympic champion Norfolk.
"Pete and I have a great understanding with each other on court now and it's a pretty big achievement to beat the top seeds on their home soil in such a big year for wheelchair tennis," added 21-year-old Lapthorne.
Meanwhile, there were British winners in both the men’s and women’s consolation singles finals.
British No.1 and world No.12 Gordon Reid defeated Japan’s world No.10 Takashi Sanada 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to win the men’s consolation final.
Jordanne Whiley also beat a higher ranked opponent in the women’s consolation final as the British No.1 and world No.12 defeated Germany’s world No.11 Katharina Kruger 7-5, 6-3.