Best pairs to fight for Doubles Masters titles

The top eight men's doubles pairings, the top six women's doubles pairings and the top four quad doubles pairings will contest the prestigious UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters in Bemmel, the Netherlands, from 22-26 November.

The Dutch village will host the International Tennis Federation´s (ITF) year-end event for the first time ever. The qualified pairs are based on combined doubles rankings on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Rankings of 9 October.

The quad doubles final is scheduled to take place on Saturday (25 November) and the men's and women's doubles finals are both set for Sunday (26 November).

The men's doubles will begin as two round-robin pools of four teams, with the top two partnerships in each pool going forward to the semi-finals.

Rio 2016 Paralympic Games gold medallists and reigning champions Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer of France head the entries, with their chief opposition expected to come from two-time Wimbledon and reigning US Open champions Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid of Great Britain.

The women's doubles will begin as two round-robin pools of three teams, with the top two partnerships in each pool going forward to the semi-finals.

Rio 2016 silver medallists Marjolein Buis and Diede de Groot of the Netherlands top the entries. Great Britain's Lucy Shuker and Dana Mathewson of USA are likely to be contending for the major honours, too, alongside Germany's Sabine Ellerbrock and Dutchwoman Aniek van Koot.

The four partnerships in the quad doubles will play each other over three days of round-robin competition, with the top two teams going forward to meet again in Saturday's final.

Reigning Doubles Masters champions Antony Cotterill and Andy Lapthorne of Great Britain head the entries, in which three-time Paralympic champions Nick Taylor and David Wagner will be bidding for their tenth Doubles Masters title.

The event will be live streamed on the International Paralympic Committee website.

Full story is available on the ITF’s website.