WHEELCHAIR tennis player Lucy Shuker saw her bid for the Australian Open women’s singles title fall at the first hurdle yesterday, and today saw her exit the women's doubles.

In the first Grand Slam of the year, the Taunton-trained 37-year-old faced Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock in the singles quarter-finals.

Shuker raced through the first set in Melbourne, winning it 6-2, but she lost the second on a tiebreak, 7-6 (8-6).

That forced a deciding set, which again went to a tiebreak, and again the German player held her nerve, clinching it 7-6 (6-4).

Today Shuker and South African partner Kgothatso Montjane faced a very tough test against number 1 seeds Marjolein Buis and Yui Kamiji in the doubles semi-finals.

And it proved too tough a challenge, with Buis and Kamiji winning in straight sets, 6-1 6-3.