California to host 2013 ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters

The USA will be the third country to play host to the ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters when the event travels to Mission Viejo, California. 02 Apr 2013
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USA wheelchair tennis

The USA's Nicholas Taylor and David Wagner compete in the quad doubles wheelchair tennis gold medal match at London 2012

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By IPC

"There has been a strong relationship between Mission Viejo and wheelchair tennis for so many years and to be able to bring back a major wheelchair tennis event here to Mission Viejo and Southern California is incredible.”

The International Tennis Federation announced on Tuesday (2 April) that Mission Viejo, California in the USA will host the 2013 ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters, part of the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, from 7-11 November at the newly renovated Marguerite Tennis Pavilion.

The ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters is the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis doubles event. First staged in 2000, the season-ending event currently features the world’s top eight men’s pairs, top six women’s pairs and top four quad pairs.

The USA will be just the third country after Italy and the Netherlands to host the tournament since it became a stand-alone event in 2003.

The official tournament website was also launched at www.itfwheelchairdoublesmasters.com.

Mission Viejo has long supported wheelchair tennis, and for the last six years has hosted the ITF Cruyff Foundation Junior Wheelchair Camp for the Americas in association with the USTA. In 2012, 25 players from seven countries took part in the camp.

Brad Parks, the founder of wheelchair tennis and an ITF Wheelchair Tennis Ambassador, has been named Honorary Chair of the 2013 ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters. Parks hails from the nearby city of San Clemente.

"Wheelchair tennis has its roots in Southern California," Parks told the ITF. "For 20 years, the US Open USTA Wheelchair Tennis Championships, a premier international wheelchair tennis tournament, was held in Irvine. Mission Viejo was the site of our first junior wheelchair tennis and sports camp in 1980, and the camp continues today. There has been a strong relationship between Mission Viejo and wheelchair tennis for so many years and to be able to bring back a major wheelchair tennis event here to Mission Viejo and Southern California is incredible.”

The 2013 ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters has also received the support of 1989 Roland Garros champion Michael Chang, also a resident of Mission Viejo, who became the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title at the age of 17.

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