London – GBR, August 20, 2012: The International Tennis Federation (ITF) today confirmed the full list of singles and doubles entries for the London 2012 Paralympic Tennis Event at Eton Manor on 1-8 September. A total of 112 players from 31 countries will compete at the venue for six gold medals, with singles and doubles competitions held in men’s, women’s and quad categories. The doubles teams comprise those players already contesting the singles events.
The men’s singles event will feature 64 players, women’s singles 32 players and quad singles 16 players. The quad event is open to both men and women. The doubles events feature 28 men’s teams, 11 women’s teams and six quad teams.
Singles entries were a combination of direct acceptances based on the ITF wheelchair world rankings of 21 May 2012, and Bipartite Commission Invitation places awarded by the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Committee and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The winners of the 2010 Asian Para Games and the 2011 Para PanAm Games also received a direct entry.
Three-time Paralympic champion Esther Vergeer of Netherlands heads the women’s singles entries and will bid to extend her unbeaten Paralympic singles record. The 30-year-old will also attempt to win her third Paralympic doubles title with new partner Marjolein Buis, having won doubles gold in Sydney and Athens, and silver in Beijing.
Japan’s Shingo Kunieda will bid to defend his Paralympic men’s singles title in a field headed by world No. 1 Stephane Houdet of France. Houdet and Michael Jeremiasz are defending men’s doubles champions, with the line-up also including Athens winners Kunieda and Satoshi Saida.
In the quad category, Britain’s Peter Norfolk will look to win his third successive Paralympic title on home soil, while Americans Nick Taylor and David Wagner will attempt to win their third successive quad doubles title.
The draw for the 2012 Paralympic Tennis Event will take place on site at Eton Manor at 12:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Thursday 30 August.
Eton Manor is the only purpose-built Paralympic venue for London 2012. It features nine competition courts and four practice courts, with a total capacity of 10,500 spectators. There are three show courts, with Centre Court holding 5,000 spectators.
ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “Following the most successful Olympic Tennis Event in history, I am confident that this year’s Paralympic Tennis Event will be an equally memorable competition, with the wonderful new facility at Eton Manor providing a great legacy for tennis in the UK. Wheelchair tennis is one of the fastest growing Paralympic sports, and we are looking forward to sell-out crowds and some fierce competition.”
MEN’S SINGLES ENTRY LIST
Argentina Gustavo Fernandez (PPA), Agustin Ledesma
Australia Adam Kellerman, Ben Weekes
Austria Martin Legner, Thomas Mossier
Belgium Mike Denayer (*), Joachim Gerard
Brazil Rafael Medeiros, Mauricio Pomme, Daniel Rodrigues, Carlos Santos
Canada Philippe Bedard (*), Joel Dembe
Chile Robinson Mendez, Diego Perez (*)
Colombia Elicier Oquendo
France Frederic Cattaneo, Stephane Houdet, Michael Jeremiasz, Nicolas Peifer
Great Britain Alex Jewitt, Marc McCarroll, David Phillipson, Gordon Reid
Hungary Laszlo Farkas
Iran Hossein Mamipour (*)
Iraq Mohammed Qasim Hamdan(*)
Italy Fabian Mazzei
Japan Shingo Kunieda (AP), Takuya Miki, Satoshi Saida, Takashi Sanada
Korea, Rep. Ha-Gel Lee, Sang-Ho Oh
Morocco Lhaj Boukartacha (*)
Netherlands Robin Ammerlaan, Tom Egberink, Maikel Scheffers, Ronald Vink
Nigeria Alex Adewale (*), Wasiu Yusuf (*)
Poland Albin Batycki (*), Kamil Fabisiak, Piotr Jaroszewski, Tadeusz Kruszelnicki
Slovak Republic David Chabrecek
South Africa Eliphas Maripa, Sydwell Mathonsi
Spain Daniel Caverzaschi, Francesc Tur
Sri Lanka Gamini Dissanayake (*), Upali Rajakaruna (*)
Sweden Stefan Olsson, Peter Vikstrom
Switzerland Yann Avanthey (*), Daniel Pellegrina
Thailand Suthi Khlongrua (*), Suwitchai Merngprom
USA Steve Baldwin (*), Jon Rydberg, Stephen Welch, Noah Yablong (*)
Zimbabwe Nyasha Mharakurwa (*)
WOMEN’S SINGLES ENTRY LIST
Australia Daniela di Toro, Janel Manns (*)
Austria Henriett Koosz (*)
Belgium Annick Sevenans
Brazil Natalia Mayara (*)
Chile Francisca Mardones (*), Maria-Antonieta Ortiz
Colombia Angelica Bernal (*), Johana Martinez
France Christine Schoenn
Germany Sabine Ellerbrock, Katharina Kruger
Great Britain Louise Hunt, Lucy Shuker, Jordanne Whiley
Italy Marianna Lauro
Japan Kanako Domori, Yui Kamiji, Yuko Okabe
Korea, Rep. Myung-Hee Hwang (*), Ju-Yeon Park
Netherlands Marjolein Buis, Jiske Griffioen, Aniek van Koot, Esther Vergeer
South Africa Kgothatso Montjane
Spain Elena Jacinto (*), Lola Ochoa
Thailand Sakhorn Khanthasit (AP), Ratana Techamaneewat (*)
USA Emmy Kaiser, Mackenzie Soldan (PPA)
QUAD SINGLES ENTRY LIST
Great Britain Jamie Burdekin, Andrew Lapthorne, Peter Norfolk
Israel Noam Gershony, Boaz Kramer, Shraga Weinberg
Italy Marco Innocenti, Giuseppe Polidori (*)
Japan Shota Kawano (*), Mitsuteru Moroishi (*)
South Africa Lucas Sithole
Sweden Anders Hard, Marcus Jonsson (*)
USA Bryan Barten, Nicholas Taylor, David Wagner
(*) Bipartite Commission Invitation place; (AP) Asian Para Games winner; (PPA) Para PanAm Games winner
MEN’S DOUBLES ENTRY LIST
Argentina Gustavo Fernandez/Agustin Ledesma
Australia Adam Kellerman/Ben Weekes
Austria Martin Legner/Thomas Mossier
Belgium Mike Denayer/Joachim Gerard
Brazil Rafael Medeiros/Daniel Rodrigues, Mauricio Pomme/Carlos Santos
Canada Philippe Bedard/Joel Dembe
Chile Robinson Mendez/Diego Perez
France Frederic Cattaneo/Nicolas Peifer, Stephane Houdet/Michael Jeremiasz,
Great Britain Alex Jewitt/David Phillipson, Marc McCarroll/Gordon Reid
Japan Shingo Kunieda/Satoshi Saida, Takuya Miki/Takashi Sanada
Korea, Rep. Ha-Gel Lee/Sang-Ho Oh
Netherlands Robin Ammerlaan/Ronald Vink, Tom Egberink/Maikel Scheffers,
Nigeria Alex Adewale/Wasiu Yusuf
Poland Albin Batycki/Kamil Fabisiak, Piotr Jaroszewski/Tadeusz Kruszelnicki
South Africa Eliphas Maripa/Sydwell Mathonsi
Spain Daniel Caverzaschi/Francesc Tur
Sri Lanka Gamini Dissanayake/Upali Rajakaruna
Sweden Stefan Olsson/Peter Vikstrom
Switzerland Yann Avanthey/Daniel Pellegrina
Thailand Suthi Khlongrua/Suwitchai Merngprom
USA Steve Baldwin/Noah Yablong, Jon Rydberg/Stephen Welch
WOMEN’S DOUBLES ENTRY LIST
Australia Daniela di Toro/Janel Manns
Chile Francisca Mardones/Maria-Antonieta Ortiz
Colombia Angelica Bernal/Johana Martinez
Germany Sabine Ellerbrock/Katharina Kruger
Great Britain Lucy Shuker/Jordanne Whiley
Japan Kanako Domori/Yui Kamiji
Korea, Rep. Myung-Hee Hwang/Ju-Yeon Park
Netherlands Marjolein Buis/Esther Vergeer, Jiske Griffioen/Aniek van Koot
Spain Elena Jacinto/Lola Ochoa
Thailand Sakhorn Khanthasit/Ratana Techamaneewat
USA Emmy Kaiser/Mackenzie Soldan
QUAD DOUBLES ENTRY LIST
Great Britain Andrew Lapthorne/Peter Norfolk
Israel Noam Gershony/Shraga Weinberg
Italy Marco Innocenti/Giuseppe Polidori
Japan Shota Kawano/Mitsuteru Moroishi
Sweden Anders Hard/Marcus Jonsson
USA Nicholas Taylor/David Wagner. —- ITF
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