Dutch Take Wheelchair Tennis Masters Titles

Athletes Maikel Scheffers and Esther Vergeer both from the Netherlands took the men and women’s singles titles at the 2009 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters in Amsterdam this past weekend.

Scheffers took first, after a tough battle on the court against compatriot Robin Ammerlaan. The scores for the match were 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. In the women’s competition, Vergeer played Korie Homan (NED) and won the match 2-6, 7-6, 6-3.

For third and fourth places, Florence Gravellier from France beat Daniela Di Toro from Australia 6-3, 6-3 in the women’s competition. For the men, Sweden’s Stefan Olsson beat Japan’s Satoshi Saida, 6-2, 6-4.

Taking place from 18-22 November at the Frans Otten Stadium, the big competition included eight of the world’s top ten men and women, and all four world’s top ranked quad players. And for the second consecutive year, the same eight players competed in the men’s event.

Held in the Netherlands, the NEC Masters has become the most coveted trophy amongst the top players. The NEC Masters was initiated in 1994 to honour the top players who have shown dedication and professionalism to the sport. At the same time it is an opportunity to show the general public and the media that Wheelchair Tennis played at its highest level is not only challenging and dynamic, but also an exciting sport to watch.

After six successful years at its original home of the Indoor Sport Centre in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters moved in 2000, to Amersfoort, where an independent group had purchased the organizing rights for this unique event. In 2006, the NEC Singles Masters took place for the first time in Amsterdam at the Frans Otten Stadium, where it is currently held.