Whiley & Peifer star in quarter finals at 21st British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships

Jordanne WhileyBritain’s Jordanne Whiley and Nicolas Peifer of France both recorded big upsets during Thursday’s third day of play at the 21st British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships, part of the NEC wheelchair Tennis Tour, as they progressed to the semi-finals at Nottingham Tennis Centre.

In the women’s singles, 18-year-old British No 2 Whiley secured the biggest win of her career as she beat French world No 5 Florence Alix-Gravellier to reach the first ITF Super Series quarter-final of her career.
 
Playing in her second successive Super Series quarter-final and her first British Open quarter-final, World No 14 Whiley came from a set and 4-2 down to beat second seed Alix-Gravellier 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 and now goes on to play Dutch fourth seed Jiske Griffioen in Friday's semi-finals.  Griffioen secured a 6-4, 6-0 victory over her fellow Dutchwoman and sixth seed Marjolein Buis. 
 
"I wasn't really expecting to win when I went on court today, so I think I went on more relaxed than I might have otherwise been, which was really the key," said Whiley.  When I was 4-2 down in the second I just thought 'if I'm going to go down I'm going to go down with a fight'.  So I kept fighting for every point and then all of a sudden I was level at 4-4 and then serving for the second set at 5-4 up.   I really can't believe I'm in the semis, it's brilliant and I've nothing to lose tomorrow."
 
Whiley is joined in the semi-finals by three Dutch players after world No 1 Esther Vergeer beat British No 1 Lucy Shuker 6-0, 6-1.  Vergeer, whose win over Shuker was the 388th consecutive singles victory in her unprecedented winning streak that goes back to the end of January 2003, plays her compatriot Aniek van Koot in the other semi-final after van Koot recovered from losing a set and 4-1 lead to prevail 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.

As in the women's singles, three Dutch players will contest Saturday’s men's singles semi-finals, with Frenchman Nicolas Peifer completing the line-up after upsetting his compatriot, top seed and world No 2 Stephane Houdet 7-5, 6-2. 

Britain's two representatives in the men's singles semi-finals both had a tough time against higher ranked opponents.  British No 1 David Phillipson was 2-0 up in the second set of his match against Dutch third seed Robin Ammerlaan before two-time British Open champion Ammerlaan went on to complete a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

Fifth seed Peifer plays fourth seed Ronald Vink in the last four.  British No 2 Gordon Reid put up a fine effort against Vink, but the world No 6 eventually proved too strong and wrapped up a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Ammerlaan takes on fellow Dutchman and second seed Maikel Scheffers, who came from behind to beat Japanese sixth seed Satoshi Saida 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the closest of the men’s quarter-finals.

Britain's Andrew Lapthorne had two game points to move 5-4 ahead in his quad singles quarter-final against American top seed and world No 2 David Wagner, but was not able to take his chances.  Despite another fine effort in the second set, Lapthorne eventually slipped to a 6-4, 7-6 loss as defending British Open champion Wagner progressed to a semi-final against Canadian third seed Sarah Hunter.
 
Meanwhile, fellow Briton Jamie Burdekin's second match back after returning from injury on Tuesday proved to be a tough one and he was beaten 6-0, 6-0 by Swedish world No 3 Johan Andersson.  Andersson faces former British Open champion Shraga Weinberg of Israel in the semi-finals following Weinberg’s 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 victory over American fifth seed Bryan Barten.       

Seven of the world’s top 10 men, six of the world’s top 10 women and seven of the world’s top 10 quad division players head a field of 100 entrants for the 21st British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships, which continues until Sunday 25th July 2010, with the finals scheduled for both Saturday, 24th and Sunday, 25th July. 

Entry is FREE to all spectators throughout the week.