Lapthorne’s latest title boosts confidence ahead of Rio

Eastcote wheelchair tennis star Andy Lapthorne says his latest doubles victory will stand him in good stead for this year’s Rio Paralympics.

Lapthorne partnered fellow Brit Jamie Burdekin to their fourth career win over three-time Paralympic champions Nick Taylor and David Wagner to win the quad doubles final at the Pensacola Open in Florida.

They lost the first set 6-3 but hit back to win the second 6-0, before rain halted the match. They returned the next day for the deciding tie-break, winning it 10-4.

Lapthorne now moves on to this week’s Cajun Classic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the scene of another victory over Taylor and Wagner – but is also looking to events in Rio this summer.

He said: “It was a very important win for us to take to Baton Rouge, where we also beat them last year, so it sets us up nicely as we attempt to defend our title this week.

“With Rio getting ever closer, every win we can get against them boosts our confidence and tells us more about what we need to work on in the coming months.”

Lapthorne also reached the quad singles final at the Pensacola Open before losing to Wagner, while Ickenham’s Marc McCarroll reached his first singles final of 2016 at the Biel-Bienne Indoor in Switzerland.

The 31-year-old former semi-professional footballer ended up losing to second seed Daniel Caverzaschi 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.