Shuker makes it three

British number one Lucy Shuker won her third singles title of 2008 with victory in the Nottingham Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Tournament.

Shuker, who just missed out on a place in the quarter-finals of the Paralympics in Beijing, beat Dutchwoman Aniek Van Koot 7-5 6-1 to win her first Nottingham title, the last British-based world ranking event of the 2008 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour.

“It’s always good to win a tournament on home soil and to do it by beating a top-ten player makes it even more special,” she said.

“I played well and it’s really satisfying to see the changes I’ve been working on in training since Beijing pay dividends. It’s a big confidence boost ahead of making my debut in the Singles Masters.”

Shuker also had success in the women’s doubles, taking a straight-sets victory with fellow Brit Jordanne Whiley over Marjolein Buis and Katharina Kruger.

Meanwhile, the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton played host to Metro Sports Club’s second blind tennis tournament.

The two-day event featured 14 visually-impaired players from the London-based sports and social club vying for honours in a series of round-robin group matches.

David Samuels, from Finchley, took the men’s title, while Odette Battarel, from Croydon, claimed the women’s title.

Tennis for blind and visually-impaired people is relatively new in the UK.

Despite originating in Japan, where the first national tournament took place in 1990, the sport was first demonstrated in London only last year.

The game is played on a court the same size as a badminton court, with tactile edges. The ball contains bearings to enable players to hear its height, direction and speed. Players are allowed one, two or three bounces depending on the level of their visual impairment.