Vergeer and Scheffers to play at Roland Garros

Esther Vergeer and Maikel Scheffers are the defending champions in the event. 20 Apr 2012

Esther Vergeer in action at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games

Esther Vergeer in action at Beijing 2008.

ⒸLieven Coudenys

Maikel Scheffers is returning to Roland Garros as the reigning champion.

World No. 1 players Esther Vergeer and Maikel Scheffers will be heading up the women’s and men’s singles draw respectively at this year’s Roland Garros Wheelchair Tennis event.

The world’s top seven ranked players at the entry deadline, plus one wild card, make up the eight players for the men's and women's events.

Scheffers is returning to Roland Garros as the reigning champion. In 2011, he won his very first Grand Slam title against France’s Nicolas Peifer, who is also part of the men’s singles draw.

Scheffers’ compatriot Vergeer, undefeated since January 2003, is also looking at defending her title in Roland Garros, which would make it six in a row. But world no. 2, Vergeer’s teammate Aniek van Koot, will try to steal the trophy from her, after coming close to defeating Vergeer in the final of the Pensacola Open on 1 April.

The women’s singles draw includes the following players

Esther Vergeer (NED) (1)

Aniek van Koot (NED) (2)

Jiske Griffioen (NED) (3)

Marjolein Buis (NED) (4)

Sabine Ellerbrock (GER) (5)

Annick Sevenans (BEL) (6)

Yui Kamiji (JPN) (7)

Sharon Walraven (NED) (9) (WC)

The men’s singles draw includes the following players

Maikel Scheffers (NED) (1)

Stephane Houdet (FRA) (2)