Lexus Wheelchair Tennis National Finals enjoys successful return to Shropshire

Seventeen-year-old Lilly Folland joined Asif Abbasi and Gary Cox on the Lexus Wheelchair Tennis National Finals roll of honour as the three players triumphed in the senior singles draws at the culmination of the LTA's domestic wheelchair tennis calendar at The Shrewsbury Club.

Abbasi added the men's doubles title to the men's singles title and Folland left Shrewsbury with three titles after adding victory in the women's doubles to her women's singles and 18U junior doubles titles.

Folland, from South Wales, beat 2023 women's singles champion Naomie Tarver for the first time in domestic singles competition after winning their semi-final 6-3, 6-4 and went on to defeat top seed Mariam Ayeni 6-4, 6-3 in Sunday's final, having already partnered Cheshire's Tracy Vallance to remain unbeaten in their women's doubles round-robin draw after beating runners-up Lucy Foyster and Tarver 3-6, 6-0, (10-8).

While Folland is a new addition on the National Finals roll of honour, Essex player Abbasi secured his second men's singles title since 2018 - the year that The Shrewsbury Club first staged the National Finals.

An impressive weekend for two of Britain's leading younger players saw teenagers Will Barton and Matthew Knoesen both beat older seeded opponents to reach the men's semi-finals before Barton edged a thrilling contest 7-5, 2-6, (10-7) to book his place in the final. Meanwhile, top seed Abbasi defeated 2023 champion and fourth seed Philip Fielding 6-2, 6-2 in the other semi-final and went on to beat Barton 6-1, 6-0 to end the weekend with four straight sets wins.

It was a similar story in the men's doubles as top seeds Abbasi and South Wales's Kevin Lewis eased to three straight sets victories, defeating Tony Quinn and Jack Wells 6-1, 6-0 as Lewis went one better than when finishing runner-up in the men's doubles last year. Abbasi won his first National Finals men's singles title in Shrewsbury in 2018, the same year that Cox won the first of his quad singles title and the Northamptonshire player made it five quad singles titles on The Shrewsbury Club courts.

Cox dropped just seven games across four round-robin matches, defeating runner-up Dan Pennington Bridges 6-3, 6-2 in the decisive contest to complete his quintet of National Finals titles. Meanwhile, for Pennington Bridges and his partner Melvil Vedrenne-Cloquet, there was victory in the quad doubles decider after they beat Edward Barret and Andy Guy 6-2, 6-0.

The National Finals has long been a vital milestone for many of Britain's most celebrated wheelchair tennis players, helping to shape their journeys to the top.

Among the younger players on the LTA's Wheelchair Tennis Pathway, Knoesen, from Sussex, left his second National Finals with a second successive winner's trophy after victory in the U18 boys' singles.

Winner of the novice singles draw in 2023, Knoesen reversed the result of this year's men's singles semi-final against Barton, defeating Barton 6-4, 6-3 in the boys' singles semis before beating second seed Lucas de Gouveia 6-4, 6-2 in the final.

While there were runners-up honours for Foyster in the women's doubles, the Norfolk teenager secured straight sets wins against Ellen Tribley and Imogen Ashwell-Rice to win the U18 girls' singles title.

Meanwhile, there was a thrilling conclusion to the U18 junior doubles as Folland earned her third title of the 2024 Lexus Wheelchair Tennis National Finals, partnering McKenzie O'Reilly.

The duo came through a busy last day of competition to beat De Gouveia and Vedrenne-Cloquet 4-2, 2-4, (10-6).

Summing up four days of fascinating competition, tournament director and LTA Wheelchair Talent Pathway Manager Matthew Grover, said: “We've witnessed some incredible tennis over the past four days. The passion, drive, and sportsmanship displayed by all the players is nothing short of inspiring.

“We celebrated phenomenal champions across every category and each match was a testament to the talent, determination, and love for the sport that defines our wheelchair tennis community.”

During the National Finals the annual LTA awards were presented for the leading players on the domestic regional wheelchair tennis tour, each presented by Tennis Shropshire's Simon Jones.

Mark Langeveld and Naomie Tarver, both runners-up at Shrewsbury's regional tournament in June, received the men's and women's No.1 player awards, while National Finals runner-up De Gouveia earned the junior No.1 award.

The Val Fisher Award for novice player of the year, named in memory of the ever-popular Shropshire wheelchair tennis stalwart who passed away in 2021, went to Scotland's Thomas McCaffrey.

Pictured: Simon Jones, the LTA councillor for Tennis Shropshire, presented Gary Cox with the No.1 quad singles player award as the annual LTA awards were presented for the leading players on the domestic regional wheelchair tennis tour at The Shrewsbury Club. Picture: Harry Fisher.