Wimbledon: British pair to face off in inaugural wheelchair event
Tuesday 5 July 2016 20:15, UK
British No 1 Jordanne Whiley and British No 2 Lucy Shuker will meet for the first time in Grand Slam singles competition on Thursday in the quarter-finals of the inaugural Wimbledon wheelchair tennis singles event.
Five Brits will contest this week's historic men's and ladies' singles events at the third major of the year.
On the women's side, in addition to Whiley and Shuker, Louise Hunt will make her Grand Slam singles debut against last month's Roland Garros champion Marjolein Buis of the Netherlands.
In the men's singles, Australian Open champion and world No 3 Gordon Reid will begin his quest to reach his third Grand Slam singles final of the year with a quarter-final against Frenchman Nicolas Peifer.
Fellow Brit Alfie Hewett will make his Grand Slam singles debut against Belgium's Joachim Gerard.
"I came here with a mind like, whoever I get, I'm going to have to play anyway," said Whiley.
"Obviously I've had ideal draws and not so ideal draws. I'm pretty pleased with my draw and I'm just going to go out and play my best tennis.
"I know for me this one's the big one. I really want to do well here. I'm here to win Wimbledon singles. For us to be able to showcase our sport to the highest level in the singles event is just absolutely fantastic."
Reid will face world No 4 Peifer for the second Grand Slam in succession, having won their opening match in Paris last month in straight sets.
As well as aiming to make history in the Wimbledon singles events, Whiley and Reid will also be looking to add to their Grand Slam doubles titles.
Whiley and Japan's Yui Kamiji, already seven-time Grand Slam doubles champions, will begin their campaign for a third successive Wimbledon doubles title against Hunt and Buis.
That means that at least one Brit will be in the ladies' doubles final, with Shuker and Germany's Sabine Ellerbrock facing Dutch duo Jiske Griffioen and Aniek van Koot in the other semi-final.
Reid and Hewett will start their first Grand Slam doubles event together with a semi-final against Argentina's Gustavo Fernandez and Gerard. Reid and Hewett have already reached three successive Super Series men's doubles finals this year after also winning last year's British Open.
The men's and ladies' doubles semi-finals are scheduled to take place on Friday.
