Andy Lapthorne is targeting the world No.1 quad doubles ranking as well as his fifth Australian Open doubles title after the Eastcote star began 2016 by partnering fellow Brit Jamie Burdekin to win the quad doubles at the Sydney Wheelchair Tennis Open Super Series event over the weekend.

The hard-workingLapthorne was also runner-up in the quad singles.

Lapthorne and Burdekin clinched their fifth doubles title together but their first at Super Series level, the most important grade of tournament outside of the Grand Slams, after coming through two tense encounters in their semi-final and final. The top seeds, who are working towards qualification for the Rio 2016 Paralympics, edged out Australian Dylan Alcott and Israel’s Itay Erenlib in a deciding match tiebreak 2-6, 6-4, (10-4) to reach the final.

With three Brits on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis World Class Programme in the final, Lapthorne and Burdekin beat Antony Cotterill and South African Lucas Sithole 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 to make it back-to-back major titles after ending 2015 by winning the ITF 1 Series Nottingham Indoor. Currently world ranked No. 2 in doubles, Lapthorne has subsequently moved 150 points close to world No. 1 David Wagner of the USA.

“It’s is a great way to start Paralympic year and a good start to the Australian tour. I’m really looking forward to heading back to Melbourne Park to defend my doubles title and also trying to reach the world No. 1 doubles ranking,” said Lapthorne, who opened his singles account for 2016 with a straight sets win over Japan’s Shota Kawano before beating second seed Sithole 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 in the semi-finals. “I beat Lucas in our first match of 2015, too, but since then he’s had the edge so it’s nice to get over that mental hurdle to reach the singles final.”

Only world No. 1 Alcott denied world No. 4 Lapthorne a brace of titles, winning the quad singles final 6-0, 6-3. Lapthorne is drawn to meet Alcott in the singles semi-finals of this week’s Melbourne Open and will then partner Alcott in the quad doubles at the Australian Open in his attempt to follow up his four previous titles at the first Grand Slam of the year, two with fellow Brit Peter Norfolk and two with Wagner.

With the Rio Paralympics in mind, Ickenham’s Jordanne Whiley will partner fellow Brit Lucy Shuker in the women’s doubles at the Australian Open.

The London 2012 bronze medallists posted an early winning start to 2016 with a 6-3, 6-3 quarter-final victory over French duo Charlotte Famin and Emmanuelle Morch. However, they bowed out in the last four after a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 loss to Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock ad South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane.

After two Australian doubles titles partnering Japan’s Yui Kamiji, Whiley met the Japanese world No.2 in the women’s singles quarter-finals in Sydney, Kamiji advancing 6-2, 6-3 after Whiley had earlier beaten the USA’s Dana Mathewson 7-5, 6-2 on her seasonal debut.

British men’s No. 3 Marc McCarroll completes his Australian tour of three back-to-back tournaments this week at the ITF 2 Series Melbourne Open, having been a singles and doubles quarter-finalist in his seasonal bow at the ITF 2 Queensland Open in Brisbane. McCarroll then reached the men’s singles second round and, partnering fellow Brit David Phillipson the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles in Sydney, bowing out on both occasions to top seeded French opposition.