Canada’s high wheelchair tennis participant Rob Shaw could have one eye on the Paralympics in August, however he’s doing all the best issues within the meantime.
The 34-year-old took a while off after a career-best win in April however he was again with a bang in Could, choosing up a pair of titles.
In consecutive weeks, Shaw gained the doubles titles on the Tram Barcelona Open and Open Worldwide de Royan, each with Aussie Heath Davidson. The victories introduced his complete to 4 titles in 2024, matching his haul in every of the earlier two seasons.
His career-high was six titles in 2019. General, Shaw is now the proprietor of 27 ITF quad doubles trophies.
Royan was not simply notable for Shaw’s doubles victory, however he additionally went on a run within the singles, reaching his first ultimate of 2024.
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Within the semifinals of that occasion, he scored an enormous victory, taking down world No. 4 Donald Ramphadi in straight units on a busy day the place he performed (and gained) each his quarter and semifinal matches.
“At the moment might be the perfect I’ve felt on a tennis court docket in near a yr,” mentioned Shaw after the win over Ramphadi. “I totally dedicated to enjoying the way in which I needed to play and mentally stayed extraordinarily robust, regardless of some difficult moments. There have been alternatives for me to self implode, or quit, however I dug deep after I wanted to, and produced some nice tennis. Each of my opponents had gotten the perfect of me the previous three matches so it was good to get some redemption wins.”
He misplaced within the ultimate to Ahmet Kaplan.
Sadly, Shaw was unable to hold the momentum from the 2 occasions into Paris. He misplaced his opening singles and doubles matches at Roland-Garros, the place he was the lone Canadian competing within the wheelchair competitors.
McIntyre, Venos Make it Three Every
Mitch McIntyre and Thomas Venos joined Shaw within the winner’s circle during the last 4 weeks, every choosing up their third ITF doubles title of the yr.
The identical week that Shaw gained his third title of 2024, McIntyre did the identical, claiming the quad doubles title at an occasion in Padova, Italy with Finn Broadbent. It’s the first time post-COVID that McIntyre has gained three titles in a season.
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Venos practically made it two Canadian victories at that occasion in Padova as he reached the boys’s doubles ultimate however misplaced to high seeds Robin Groenewoud and Maarten Ter Hofte with associate Ezequiel Casco.
Nevertheless, that may have been Venos’ fourth title of the yr. He already claimed No. 3 per week earlier on the 27e Tournoi Bulle Indoors in Switzerland with Andrew Penney.
It’s the first season with three titles within the 25-year-old’s profession.
ITF Boucherville
The ITF Wheelchair Tour will make its first cease in Canada since April this week with the Futures Collection occasion in Boucherville, Quebec. Play will get underway on Thursday.
Thomas Venos leads the Canadian contingent on the boys’s aspect, with Natalia Lanucha being the highest Canadian within the girls’s draw.
Street to Paris
Time is operating out for gamers to get their rating in a adequate place to qualify for the 2024 Paralympic Video games in Paris. Qualification shall be partially primarily based on the ITF Wheelchair Singles World Rating on July 15, leaving slightly below a month for gamers to get their rating up.
Thomas Venos is a methods again, at present sitting 28 spots out at No. 60. Nevertheless, the hole isn’t too massive as he’s at present simply 146 factors again of Thirty second-ranked Conner Stroud, at present the final participant within the qualifying zone.
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The ladies face an excellent longer street. Prime Canadian Natalia Lanuche is 29 spots outdoors the Prime 20 who qualify for Paris, however is over 400 factors again of the twentieth spot within the rankings.
Nevertheless, Rob Shaw has already booked his spot on the Paralympics.
