LTA’s Wheelchair Tennis National Finals prove to be another big success at The Shrewsbury Club

Pictured: Simon Jones, LTA Councillor for Shropshire, presents trophy to Andrew Penney, the men’s singles champion following his success in winning the men’s singles in the LTA Wheelchair Tennis National Finals at The Shrewsbury Club. Pictures: Getty Images for the LTA.

 

The Shrewsbury Club welcomed 46 players from around the country as the LTA’s Wheelchair Tennis National Finals enjoyed a successful return to Shropshire. The club has become renowned for staging prestigious tennis tournaments, having hosted the annual event since 2017. It’s the culmination of the LTA's domestic calendar of National Wheelchair Tennis Series events.

Tournaments took place at tennis centres in England, Scotland and Wales throughout the year, including at The Shrewsbury Club in July. 
The entry list for the National Finals included a number of players from the Shropshire Wheelchair Tennis Group, based at The Cathie Sabin Community Tennis Centre. Simon Jones, the LTA Councillor for Shropshire, said: "It was an excellent tournament once again. There was a fantastic entry of 46 players, which was up from last year, and some of them travelled long distances to play.

“It was also nice to see players from the Shropshire Wheelchair Tennis Group playing, with Scott Smith reaching the quad singles final.

"The Shrewsbury Club were fantastic hosts once again, with the annual awards dinner for the LTA Wheelchair National Series on Saturday night very successful.  

“There was lots of excellent tennis played throughout the tournament. It was also pleasing that it was possible to hold separate boys and girls junior singles competitions for the first time, as it’s previously been a mixed competition.  

"Hopefully it will return to Shrewsbury again next year. The LTA like the venue, so do the players, and the club enjoy staging the event. 

"It’s always a fantastic atmosphere during the tournament.” 

Cornwall’s Fay Dutfield-Horton won both the women’s singles and doubles in the National Finals, with Worcestershire’s Naomie Tarver her doubles partner. Hampshire’s Andrew Penney led the way in the men’s events, winning the singles title and teaming up with Mark Langeveld from Leicestershire to take victory in the men’s doubles. Northamptonshire’s Gary Cox won the quad singles title and combined well with Dan Pennington-Bridges from Worcestershire to win the doubles title. Norfolk’s Scarlett Walker won the girls’ singles, with Lucas Town from Yorkshire the boys’ singles winner. He was also the under-18 doubles champion with Will Barton from Gloucestershire. Zak Corbishley from Lancashire won the novice singles and also partnered West Sussex’s Nathan Freeman to victory in the doubles.   

Simon Jones presented the trophies and he also handed out the LTA Wheelchair National Series awards at Saturday night’s presentation dinner. The awards included the Val Fisher Novice of the Year Trophy, named in memory of Shropshire’s Val, a pioneer of wheelchair tennis who sadly passed away last year. The award was won by Vasileios Takis. Val was hugely popular with other players and contributed so much to wheelchair tennis over many years, with Simon adding: “It was nice that Malcolm, Val’s husband, and Harry, one of their sons, attended Saturday’s awards dinner.”