Wheelchair Tennis Showcased in Rotterdam

Paralympian and number one ranked Wheelchair Tennis player Esther Vergeer and number one ranked able-bodied Tennis player Rafael Nadal were in full form in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, this week, promoting the exciting Paralympic Sport of Wheelchair Tennis.

The exhibition event was a match between the two athletes, which was played in front of a crowd of eager and enthusiastic spectators. The event was in promotion for the first ABN AMRO World Wheelchair Tennis Tournament which begins on 12 February. The Tournament is part of the 2009 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour.

Paralympian Ambassador Vergeer is also the Director of the Tournament. As director, Vergeer hopes to make the Wheelchair Tennis competition as successful as possible on the other side of the court, the planning side.

The new event from the 2009 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour will comprise eight players over the course of three days. An amount of US$ 20,000 will be awarded to the winner.

Some of the participants, who are also Paralympians include Robin Ammerlaan from the Netherlands, Michael Jeremiasz from France, Stephane Houdet from France, Maikel Scheffers from the Netherlands and Martin Legner from Austria.

The first event of the 2009 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour occurred just days earlier in Sydney, Australia. Number one ranked Shingo Kunieda (JPN) won his first Sydney International Open at the event in the Men’s Singles competition. The Japanese player brings his winning run to 47 matches. In the Women’s Singles competition, Paralympian Korie Homan (NED) took the title, winning against compatriot and number three ranked Jiske Griffioen.