Surprise Exits in Sydney Super Series

20 Jan 2012

Britain’s Wheelchair Tennis Player Andrew Lapthorne.

ⒸGetty Images

By IPC

There was plenty of drama during the first day of the Sydney International Wheelchair Tennis Open on Wednesday (17 January) to usher in the first Super Series tournament of the 2012 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour, with seeded players exiting in both the men's and women's singles.

In the first round of the men’s singles, World No. 58 Adam Kellerman gave Australian fans plenty to cheer about when he came back from the verge of defeat to edge past former world No. 1 Robin Ammerlaan of the Netherlands 4-6 7-6(6) 6-4.

But Kellerman went on to lose 6-1 6-3 in the second round to Britain's Marc McCarroll, who secured a place in his first Super Series quarter-final, where he will face Takashi Sanada.

Sanada swept past world No. 5 Nicolas Peifer 6-2 6-3 and Michael Jeremiasz of France stretched his unbeaten sequence after a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Sweden's world No. 7 Stefan Olsson. A Frenchman is guaranteed a semi-final place, with world No. 3 Stephane Houdet defeating Britain's Gordon Reid 6-2 6-4 in his second match of the day to face Jeremiasz.

World No. 9 Frederic Cattaneo edged past Britain's David Phillipson 7-6(7) 2-6 7-5 before beating Brazil's Mauricio Pomme comfortably to set up a quarter-final against 2011 runner-up Ronald Vink of the Netherlands.

After Maikel Scheffers’s first round exit at the Melbourne Open, the world No.1 dropped just four games in his opening two matches to book his place in the last eight against Japanese world No. 8 Satoshi Saida.

Whiley beats world top 10 opposition back-to-back

Britain's Jordanne Whiley produced the most notable women's singles results on the opening day of competition after beating two top 10 ranked players to reach the sixth Super Series quarter-final of her career.

Whiley stunned world No. 10 Kgothatso Montjane of South Africa 6-2 6-1, before overcoming Germany's world No 6 Sabine Ellerbrock, who was battling against injury. Whiley won the second round contest 6-3 6-4 to book her place in the last eight against world No. 8 Sharon Walraven of the Netherlands.

American Emmy Kaiser came close to upsetting Japan's world No. 9 Yui Kamiji, but Kamiji gained the vital break in the deciding set to advance 6-3 4-6 7-5 and face Dutch world No. 2 Aniek van Koot in the quarter-final. Australian world No. 6 Daniela di Toro won her opening match 6-0 6-2 to set up an intriguing last eight contest against Dutch world No. 5 Marjolein Buis.

World No. 1 Esther Vergeer secured her fourth 6-0 6-0 victory in five matches so far this season, winning her opening match against Japan's Miho Nijo to set up a meeting with Belgian sixth seed and world No. 7 Annick Sevenans.

Moroishi to meet Lapthorne in quad singles quarter-finals

Japan's Mitsuteu Moroishi came through 4-6 7-5 6-2 to earn his place in the last eight against world No. 4 Andrew Lapthorne, who he will play for the second time on tour, having won their second round match at the 2011 Japan Open 6-4 6-4.

Shota Kawano was another Japanese player to book his place in the quarterfinals, dominating his second and third sets against Canada's Adrian Dieleman to win 6-7(6)) 6-0 6-2. World No. 1 David Wagner faced a tough test in his opening match of 2012, coming from 5-4 down in the first set of his match against Briton Jamie Burdekin 7-5 6-2.

In the bottom half of the draw world No.2 Peter Norfolk eased through his first match of the season against Japan's Takahiro Koga 6-0 6-0 and will now face Italy's Marco Innocenti. The other quad singles quarterfinal will see Israeli world No. 3 Noam Gershony and Britain's John Parfitt go head-to-head after both players eased through their first round matches.