Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Tennis heroes return from Rio
Lapthorne and Whiley bring home three medals
EASTCOTE’S Andy Lapthorne and Ickenham’s Jordanne Whiley returned to Hillingdon this week after contributing a silver and two bronze medals to Paralympics GB’s best medal tally since 1988.
Between them, Lapthorne and Whiley won three of the record six medals won at a single Paralympics by players on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis World Class Programme.
Silver medallist in the quad doubles in London four years ago, world number four Lapthorne achieved the same medal colour in singles this time after winning his semi-final against American second seed David Wagner 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.
Earlier straight sets wins over Italy’s Alberto Corradi and Australian Heath Davidson saw Lapthorne book his place in the last four, but after defeating Wagner, Lapthorne’s quest for the gold medal ended in a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Davidson’s countryman and world number one Dylan Alcott.
The two Australians also thwarted the British quest for the quad doubles gold medal in the semi-finals, but Lapthorne and Burdekin dug deep to earn their own unique place in Paralympic history in the bronze medal match.
They combined to edge out Israeli duo Itay Erelnib and Shraga Weinberg 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 after four hours and 25 minutes on court, making it the longest wheelchair tennis match Paralympic Games history.
Lapthorne said: “I surpassed my own expectations to get to this final, but once I beat the world number two in the semis, I really thought I had a chance at gold. I’ve had my redemption since London, and I’m so proud to leave Rio with two medals, and my first in the singles. Three-time Paralympic medallist has a pretty good ring to it.”
Whiley’s bid for medals was hindered by a wrist injury, and after two straight set wins she bowed out of the women’s singles to Dutch world number six Diede de Groot in the quarter-finals.
But she and Lucy Shuker showed great determination in their doubles bronze medal match, recovering from a mid-match dip in form to defeat Japan’s Yui Kamiji and Miho Nijo 6-3, 0-6, 6-1.
Whiley said: “The medical team have done an incredible job to help manage the pain in my wrist.
“I could feel it a little bit, but I was using pain diversion techniques to take my mind off it! I am sad that my Games is over so quickly, but to get another bronze is still an achievement to be proud of.”
Fellow Ickenham player Marc McCarroll reached the second round of the men’s singles, beating Italy’s Fabian Mazzei 7-5, 6-3, before bowing out to eventual bronze medallist and world number two Joachim Gerard of Belgium.
McCarroll and David Phillipson also reached the second round of the men’s doubles, before losing to French top seeds and eventual gold medallists Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer.