ITF Delighted with Eton Manor London 2012 Test Event

“For the players it’s been very cold but other than that we’ve had some good feedback from them about the courts, the surfaces and a few areas that will be different at Games time.”

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has praised the London 2012 Eton Manor test event which came to a climax on Sunday (6 May) and said they are now even more excited for the start of this summer’s Paralympic Games.

Since Thursday (3 May) some of the world’s best Wheelchair Tennis players, including Esther Vergeer (NED), Peter Norfolk (GBR) and Robin Ammerlaan (NED) have been in the British capital testing the purpose built Paralympic tennis venue at Eton Manor.

And, according to the ITF’s Wheelchair Tennis Manager Mark Bullock, the event has been a great success and attracting some of the world’s leading players to Eton Manor had been important for the testing.

Mark Bullock said: “We’re very excited the event has gone very well and we’ve managed to test all the things we wanted to.

“We’ve have good crowds of spectators, who have enjoyed it, but we’ve also got lots of good feedback from all sections which will allow us to deliver a better Games.

“It’s been a new experience for us. It’s the first time we’ve had our own specific venue and therefore our own test event.

“There are some little changes we need to make but I am confident that we’ll be able to deliver a great event come September.

“By attracting some of the best players in the world here, we’ve also brought in some of the most experienced who have lots of Games experience. They have given us some great feedback.”

Despite some typically British weather conditions, Bullock said the players had given the venue some glowing feedback and actually the unseasonably cold and wet May weather had ensured the event benefitted from a ‘full test’.

“For the players it’s been very cold but other than that we’ve had some good feedback from them about the courts, the surfaces and a few areas that will be different at Games time,” said Bullock.

“We’ve had a very demanding few days weather wise, but the good thing is that with the cold, the wind and the rain we’ve tested a lot of things such as drying out the court and changing schedules.

These are things that we might face during the Games and we’ve coped well.”

It is not just the Wheelchair Tennis event that impressed Bullock over the last few days, so had the Olympic Park.

“The whole park is stunning, I love it. I’ve been coming here a lot of the last few years and to see it develop has been a fantastic experience. The Games is going to be a wonderful experience for everyone.”

The London 2012 Paralympic Games Wheelchair Tennis competition takes place between 1-8 September.

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