Britain’s Jordanne Whiley won her first Super Series singles title when she beat Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the women’s final at the British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships at Nottingham Tennis Centre.
The day after beating van Koot’s countrywoman and world No. 1 Jiske Griffioen for just the second time in her career, 23-year-old world No. 6 Whiley bounced back from dropping the opening set against world No. 3 van Koot to claim her first singles title at one of the sport’s six most important tournaments outside of the Grand Slams.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m used to just being a quarter or semi-finalist at Super Series events like this and now I’m here on finals day and I’ve just won the tournament,” Whiley said.
“Today I hope I proved to myself and other players that I’m a contender for the singles and leading up to Rio next year a contender for gold as well. For so long I’ve been wanting to prove myself in singles but it hasn’t quite worked out,” added Whiley, a six-time Grand Slam doubles champion who won her second Wimbledon title last weekend partnering Japan’s Yui Kamiji.
“I’ve gained a lot of confidence from this tournament but I’ve also learnt a lot about myself and my game to take into the US open. I really pushed myself. I'm not in the best form, I've said that all week, and I think that is what makes it a little more special, because when I am on form imagine what I can do. I’m so grateful to all my team and for the Tennis Foundation support and National Lottery funding from UK Sport funding that helps me to prepare and achieve results such as this."
Also on the penultimate day of play Andy Lapthorne finished runner-up in the quad singles final as South Africa’s Lucas Sithole won his second British Open title in three years.
World No.3 Lapthorne led world No.4 Sithole by a set and 4-1 before Sithole fought back, winning 4-6 6-3 6-4 to regain the British Open title he won for first time in 2013.
Meanwhile, Jamie Burdekin and Lapthorne beat Japan’s Shota Kawano and Mitsuteru Moroishi 7-5, 6-2 to reach Sunday’s quad doubles final.
Sunday’s last day of play in Nottingham will also see world No. 2 Stephane Houdet of France play Belgium’s 2013 British Open champion in the men’s singles final.
Houdet beat fellow Frenchman Nicolas Peifer 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in his semi-final, while world No. 4 Gerard defeated Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez 5-7, 6-0, 6-3.
