Houdet, Kunieda, Vergeer, Walraven head Wheelchair Doubles Entries for Wimbledon
The All England Club announces the four men’s and four ladies’ pairings for the wheelchair tennis doubles events at The Championships, Wimbledon, 2010.
Frenchman Stephane Houdet and Shingo of Kunieda of Japan head the list of four pairings for the men’s wheelchair doubles. Current and former world number one ranked doubles players, Houdet and Kunieda are also both former Wimbledon Wheelchair Doubles champions, Kunieda having been in the winning pairing in 2006 and Houdet triumphing in 2010 with fellow Frenchman Michael Jeremiasz.
Houdet and Kunieda will arrive at The Championships on the back of having won the men’s wheelchair doubles titles at the Australian Open and Roland Garros this season. Roland Garros runners-up Robin Ammerlaan of the Netherlands and Stefan Olsson of Sweden pair up for the first time at Wimbledon.
Esther Vergeer and Sharon Walraven of the Netherlands head the entries for the ladies’ wheelchair doubles. Vergeer was part of the winning pairing in the inaugural ladies’ wheelchair doubles event in 2009 and recently partnered Walraven to the final at Roland Garros.
Vergeer and Walraven’s fellow Dutchwoman Aniek van goes in search of her third successive doubles title at a Grand Slam. Van Koot has won at the Australian Open and Roland Garros this year with two different partners, Florence Alix-Gravellier of France and Daniela di Toro of Australia, who both also return to Wimbledon again this year.
The entry for the ladies’ doubles also includes Britain’s Lucy Shuker, who is set to partner di Toro once again as they renew a partnership that reached the final in 2009.
This is the sixth year that a men’s wheelchair doubles event and the second year that a ladies’ wheelchair doubles event have featured at The Championships.
A total of £30,000 in prize money is on offer in 2010 for the wheelchair tennis doubles events at The Championships.
Wheelchair tennis is now played at all four Grand Slams.
Entries:
Gentlemen’s Wheelchair Doubles
Stephane Houdet (FRA) (1) and Shingo Kunieda (JPN) (5)
Maikel Scheffers (NED) (3) and Ronald Vink (NED) (4)
Robin Ammerlaan (NED) (2) and Stefan Olsson (SWE) (11)
Nicolas Peifer (FRA) (7) and Frederic Cattaneo (FRA) (10)
Ladies’ Wheelchair Doubles
Esther Vergeer (NED) (2) and Sharon Walraven (NED) (8)
Florence Alix-Gravellier (FRA) (4) and Jiske Griffioen (NED) (6)
Aniek van Koot (NED) (3) and Annick Sevenans (BEL) (9)
Daniela di Toro (AUS) (5) and Lucy Shuker (GBR) (7)