Brits net hat-trick of Cajun Classic titles
24th March 2014by Marshall Thomas
British players won three titles at the Cajun Classic Wheelchair Tennis Tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana over the weekend, with Jamie Burdekin claiming his first ITF 1 Series quad singles title, Gordon Reid winning the men’s singles and Jordanne Whiley partnering South African’s Kgotahtso Montjane to win the women’s doubles.
Burdekin, who went into the tournament world ranked No. 7, beat American world No. 1 David Wagner for the second time in his career in the quad singles final. Burdekin prevailed 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-3 against the defending champion, having beaten Canadian world No. 4 and second seed Sarah Hunter in the quarter-finals and American fourth seed Nick Taylor in the semi-finals.
“I'm made up, just pinch me,” said Burdekin, who has now beaten the world’s current top two ranked players this season. “It took more than three and a half hours and was one of the best matches I've ever been involved in. All the hard work in training is paying off. I feel mentally stronger and love problem solving on court.”
World No. 3 Reid claimed the third ITF 1 Series men’s singles title of his career after 6-2, 6-2 victory over Argentinian world No. 5 and defending champion Gustavo Fernandez. It was Reid’s third singles title of 2014 after winning his first Super Series title at the Sydney International in January and then adding the ITF 2 Series Bolton Indoor title last month.
"I’m really happy to take down the title here in Baton Rouge, but don’t think I played my best tennis. I feel as though things are starting to go in the right direction and if I play like I know I can, there'll be no stopping me,” said Reid.
“There's a lot to build on from this week and I'm looking forward to my next events. I'm also really pleased to complete the British double alongside my good friend Jamie Burdekin winning the quad title.”
Whiley and South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane claimed their second career title together after a thrilling women’s doubles final that also featured Whiley’s London 2012 bronze medal-winning partner Lucy Shuker.
Top seeds Whiley and Montjane defeated Shuker and Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock, the third seeds, 7-6(3), 3-6, (11-9) after a deciding championship tie-break, with Whiley winning her fourth successive doubles title this season. Shuker and Ellerbrock had beaten Dutch second seeds Marjolein Buis and Aniek van Koot in straight sets in the semi-finals.
Burdekin also finished runner-up in the quad doubles, partnering Australia’s Dylan Alcott. In another close contest Burdekin and Alcott were edged out by top seeds Taylor and Wagner, who retained their title 7-6(5), 6-3.
Burdekin, Reid, Whiley and Shuker will now be among Britain’s leading players on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme contesting this week’s Pensacola Open, the second of back-to-back ITF 1 Series events on the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which begins on Wednesday.