Four British players to compete - US Open Wheelchair Tennis
2nd August 2013 Four British players will contest the US Open Wheelchair Tennis Event for the first time this year after Gordon Reid, Lucy Shuker, Jordanne Whiley and Andy Lapthorne were this week named among the entries.
All four Brits will make their debuts in New York for the last Grand Slam of the year, which takes place on 5-8 September.
World No. 6 Reid is set to contest his second Grand Slam singles event after reaching the men’s singles semi-finals and men’s doubles final at Roland Garros in June.
In the women’s singles and doubles, world No. 7 Shuker and world No. 8 Whiley will both complete their participation in all four Grand Slams, having previously played at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
They were women’s doubles finalists together at Wimbledon in 2012 before going on to win the women’s doubles bronze medal at the London 2012 Paralympics. Whiley went on to reach the Wimbledon doubles final again this year, while Shuker started 2013 by also reaching the Australian Open women’s doubles final.
World No. 2 Lapthorne will make his debut in New York having previously made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open, where he is a former two-time quad doubles champion with fellow Brit Peter Norfolk. Now retired from elite level competition, Norfolk is currently the only British wheelchair tennis player to have also been victorious in New York after winning the quad singles in 2007 and 2009.
“We are delighted that Gordon, Lucy, Jordanne and Andy have all qualified for this year’s US Open and this is a watershed moment for the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme as it’s the first time that British players will contest all three singles and doubles events at a Grand Slam wheelchair tennis event,” said Geraint Richards, the Tennis Foundation’s Head of Disability Player Performance.
“Their qualification is testimony to the hard work of the players and the success of our Performance Programme and we are indebted to UK Sport for their support, which continues to enable us to help the players reach their full potential.”