Win for Whiley but defeat for Lapthorne at Masters

Jordanne Whiley got her Wheelchair Tennis Masters campaign off to a winning start at the Olympic Park on Wednesday.

The Ickenham-based star defeated fellow Brit Lucy Shuker 6-4 6-2 on the first day of the end-of-year women’s singles championship.

The 23-year-old has had another successful year, winning the US Open singles title, the doubles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon and being awarded an MBE.

She finished as world number four in the singles rankings and wasted little time in defeating Shuker, the world number seven, in the first round-robin match.

Whiley has also been drawn in the same group as world number one – and 2012 Masters champion – Jiske Griffioen and Germany’s world number five Sabine Ellerbrock.

Eastcote’s Andy Lapthorne was less fortunate in his opening match in the quad singles, losing an epic to world number two and reigning champion David Wagner.

The pair have won two Australian Open titles together as doubles partners, and it was Lapthorne who struck first by winning the first set 6-1.

However, American Wagner hit back in the second, forcing a tie-break which he won 7-1, and then edged the decider 7-5.

Lapthorne’s other two matches are against Israel’s Itay Erenlib and South African Lucas Sithole.