Wheelchair tennis comes to Taunton (From Somerset County Gazette)

Wheelchair tennis comes to Taunton

7:00am Saturday 9th March 2013 in Sport

The Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis Development Series will be coming to Taunton with the series looking to produce the next generation of world-class wheelchair tennis players.

Taunton will host the second of the eight tournaments in the series at Taunton Tennis Centre on April 13 and 14 and anyone with previous experience of playing wheelchair tennis can enter.

The Series, which is in its third year, is aimed at players who want to start playing competitive wheelchair tennis before stepping up to the ITF’s NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour.

Players competing are awarded points according to their results at each event and the Series will culminate with a National Final at the end of the year at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.

Paralympic bronze medallist Jamie Burdekin believes development events are key to producing the next generation of world class wheelchair tennis players.

He said: “When I first started in the sport there weren’t so many opportunities to compete on a regular basis so it’s great to see the Tennis Foundation supporting events right across the country to get more British players competing.

“Hopefully we’ll find a future Paralympic star who can join our current crop on the international NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour.” The Series will run in addition to the seven ITF events being held in Great Britain this year which range from Futures through to Grand Slam level at Wimbledon.

And for beginners to the sport, there is a series of nationwide Tennis Foundation wheelchair tennis camps with licensed coaches on hand to show how easy it can be to pick up a racket and have some fun.

For more information visit www.tennisfoundation.org.uk.