Major shock at Wheelchair Doubles Masters

The USA’s Nick Taylor and David Wagner ensured their place in the final on Saturday (8 November), beating Great Britain’s Antony Cotterill and the USA’s Greg Hasterok

There was a huge shock on day two (6 November) of the 2014 UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters in Mission Veijo, California, USA, as the Netherlands’ Marjolein Buis and Michaela Spaanstra beat the world No.1 pairing of Japan’s Yui Kamiji and Great Britain’s Jordanne Whiley.

Kamiji and Whiley made history in 2014 when they become the first non-Dutch pairing to win the calendar year of Grand Slam titles, but they came unstuck in the pool phase and faced their first dent in the pursuit of retaining their Doubles Masters title.

With Spaanstra making her tournament debut, she and Buis combined to beat Kamiji and Whiley (3-6, 7-6, 7-6) in a thrilling near-four hour contest.

"We are so excited about this win," said Buis to the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

"We went on court with a plan and stuck to that plan. Today was about playing smart. This is the first major tournament we play as a couple. The start couldn't have been any better."

The top two partnerships from each women’s doubles pool will progress to the semi-finals. Second seeds, Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock and Great Britain’s Lucy Shuker booked their place in the last four after beating Great Britain’s Louise Hunt and Germany’s Katharina Kruger in straight sets.

In the quad competition, the USA’s Nick Taylor and David Wagner ensured their place in the final on Saturday (8 November), beating Great Britain’s Antony Cotterill and the USA’s Greg Hasterok in a two-set victory.

Defeated by Taylor and Wagner on the first day, Great Britain’s Jamie Burdekin and Andy Lapthorne registered their first victory in straight sets against the USA’s David Buck and Italy’s Antonio Raffaele.

Burdekin and Lapthorne will face Cotterill and Hasterok in the last pool game to decide who progresses to the final.

France’s Stephane Houdet continued his bid to win a third successive men’s title as he and Belgium’s Joachim Gerard booked their place in the semi-finals, as they edged past Japan’s world No.1 Shingo Kunieda and South Africa’s Evans Maripa.

The Netherlands’ pairing of Tom Egberink and Maikel Scheffers made light work of Brazil’s Rafael Medeiros and Daniel Rodrigues in straight sets.

They will now face Kunieda and Maripa for a place in the last four.

Elsewhere, France’s Michael Jeremiasz and Great Britain’s Gordon Reid beat Roland Garros runners-up, Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez and the Netherlands’ Nicolas Peifer across three sets.

For more information, visit the ITF website.