TAUNTON wheelchair tennis player Lucy Shuker partnered Stephane Houdet, of France, to victory in the mixed doubles at the 2017 British Open in Nottingham last weekend.

Shuker and Houdet progressed to the final courtesy of a semi-final win over South African pair Kgothatso Montjane and Evans Maripa, 7-5 6-2.

There, they faced Shuker’s fellow Briton Alfie Hewett and Dana Mathewson of the USA, and the quartet played out a competitive encounter in front of an appreciative crowd on Sunday afternoon.

After trading some superb shots, it was Shuker and Houdet who claimed the first set 6-3.

Hewett and Mathewson hit back in the second and led 5-4, but Shuker and Houdet held their serve and then broke to win the second set 7-5 and take the 2017 title.

British No 1 Shuker said: “It was really good fun; Stephane is a great partner to play with and is always encouraging.

“Dana and Alfie played really well but, for me, today, it was just total enjoyment.”

The 37-year-old from Ashbrittle, who trains at Blackbrook Leisure Centre in Taunton, now has her sights set across the Atlantic.

She will play in Canada and the USA as she targets a Grand Slam title at the US Open in New York (September 7-10).

She also remains focused on the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, having won women’s doubles bronze in 2012 and 2016.