Jeremiasz, Ellerbrock and Wagner win Cajun Classic

France’s Michael Jeremiasz and Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock completed the Cajun Classic, part of the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, with singles and doubles titles on Sunday (29 March) in Baton Rouge, USA, with Jeremiasz ending a memorable week with his first singles title since May 2013.

Jeremiasz’s record of career achievements will list successive ITF 1 Series singles titles after he edged out Great Britain’s defending champion Gordon Reid 7-5 6-4 in the men’s singles final. The 2005 ITF World Champion claimed his first crown since the 2013 Atlanta Open, having enjoyed his best week since returning to competition last August after seventh months out recovering from injury in 2014.

After going into the Cajun Classic unseeded and world ranked No. 20, Jeremiasz finished the tournament having beaten four seeds in five matches. His victory in the final thwarted Reid’s bid for back-to-back ITF 1 titles after Reid had won the Pensacola Open, where he beat Jeremiasz in straight sets in the quarter-finals.

"After seven months out with injury last year I had a very intense training this winter to try to be back at my best level. I was frustrated after my two tournaments in England last month because I couldn't find the passion. But after these two weeks in America I definitely can say that I'm back," said Jeremiasz, who is now a two-time Cajun Classic champion, having previously won the title in 2007.

Later in the day Jeremiasz went on to partner fellow Frenchman Nicolas Peifer to victory in the men’s doubles final, the second seeds beat top seeds Joachim Gerard of Belgium and Reid 3-6 6-3 10-2 after another thrilling contest culminated in a match tiebreak. The result was a reversal of the Pensacola Open men’s doubles final that Gerard and Reid won in straight sets.

"Winning this week both singles and doubles is amazing. I'm very happy that I've been able to beat three top eight players in a row," added Jeremiasz. "Now I really have high expectations on my way to Rio 2016. I would like to thank my doubles partner Nico Peifer, my two greatest supporters Moschino and Morales and, finally, a huge thanks to my little brother Benjamin for being the best coach ever!"

Ellerbrock achieved what Reid was unable to after she completed the Pensacola-Baton Rouge double, but not before a stiff challenge from Great Britain’s second seed Jordanne Whiley.

World No. 4 and top seed Ellerbrock edged out Britain’s world No. 5 6-3 5-7 6-4 to earn her third singles title of 2015.

With two Brits in the women’s doubles final, second seeds Ellerbrock and Lucy Shuker were involved in another hotly contested match, but managed to pull through to beat top seeds Marjolein Buis and Whiley 6-3 7-6(5).

The men’s and women’s singles and doubles titles were won the day after USA’s world No. 1 David Wagner had won his 10th Cajun Classic quad singles title with a 6-1 6-0 victory over British world No. 3 Andy Lapthorne. British second seeds Jamie Burdekin and Lapthorne earned a thrilling 6-3 3-6 11-9 victory over top seeds Nick Taylor and Wagner in the quad doubles final.