LUCY Shuker capped a successful return to the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, beating fellow Briton Louise Hunt in straight sets to win the women’s singles title at the Slovakia Open in Bratislava.
In her first tournament since January, British No 1 Shuker recorded a 6-2, 6-1 victory over British No 3 Hunt to clinch her fifth ITF 2 Series title and the 12th international singles title of her career.
There are two more chances of British success on Sunday when Alex Jewitt contests both the men’s singles and men’s doubles finals at the Jana Hunsaker Memorial at Flushing Meadows in New York.
Fourth seed Jewitt defeated American-based Australian Adam Kellerman 6-2, 6-4 in his singles semi-final on Saturday.
Jewitt established a 4-0 lead, breaking Kellerman’s serve once more to take the first set and the Briton then went 4-1 ahead in the second set.
Although Kellerman fought back to level the second set at 4-4, two doubles faults in the final game gifted the victory to Jewitt, who goes on to play American second seed and former world No 1 Stephen Welch in Sunday’s final.
Later in the day, Jewitt and American John Becker teamed up to men’s doubles second seeds Eric Gilbert of Canada and Japan’s Masahiro Honma 6-2, 6-3.
Jewitt and Becker take on American top seeds Anthony Anderson and Welch in Sunday’s final.
Meanwhile, British interest in the ITF 2 Series Open Memorial Santi Silvas in Olot, Spain, came to an end on Saturday after a mixed day of results for Jordanne Whiley, Gordon Reid and Kevin Simpson.
Whiley marked her 19th birthday with a fine effort against current world No 2 Jiske Griffioen of the Netherlands, but although she got closer to top seed Griffioen than in any of their previous seven matches the Dutchwoman went on to win their women’s singles semi-final 7-6(4), 6-4.
Whiley’s second match of the day brought a victory as the Briton partnered German’s Sabine Ellerbrock in the resumption of their women’s doubles semi-final, which had been suspended on Friday due to rain.
Whiley and Ellerbrock resumed the first set trailing Spanish duo Elena Jacinto and Lola Ochoa 4-5, but went to record a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory. With the final then taking place later in the day, Whiley and Ellerbrock were unable to end the tournament on a winning note as top seeds Griffioen and Annick Sevenans of Belgium went on to claim the title 6-1, 6-2.
Reid and Simpson also went into the penultimate day of play in Olot with two potential doubles matches, but despite making every effort to take third seeds Niclas Rodhborn and Dan Wallin to a third set in their semi-final the Swedish duo eventually secured a 6-1, 7-6(4) victory.
