Invacare World Team Cup
Antalya 2010 Turkey
Sweden win Mens World Group title
Sweden became men’s World Group 1 champions and Colombia became men’s World Group 2 champions at the 2010 Invacare World Team Cup in Turkey.
As arguably the most memorable Invacare World Team Cup in the event’s 26-year history came to a dramatic close under the floodlights at Ali Bey Club, Antalya, third seeds Sweden clinched their second World Group 1 title in three years after beating top seeds Netherlands 2-1 following a deciding doubles rubber.
Peter Wikstrom gave Sweden a fine start when he snatched a close first set against world No. 4 Robin Ammerlaan, but Ammerlaan struck back late in the second set and carried his momentum into the decider to seal a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
Another closely fought set wowed the crowds as World No. 3 Maikel Scheffers threatened to end the contest in two singles rubbers, but world No. 5 Stefan had other ideas and grew in confidence the longer the match went on before finally clinching a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory.
With the centre court at Ali Bey Club not having floods lights, the deciding doubles rubber began almost an hour later on an adjacent court. Beijing Paralympic silver medallists Olsson and Wikstrom drew on all their experience to edge reigning Doubles Masters champions Scheffers and Ronald Vink 7-6(2,) 6-3, sparking great scenes of celebration with fellow teammates Niclas Rodhborn and Dan Wallin and their coach Toni Gustavsson.
Colombia win World Group 2
Colombia won the men’s World Group 2 title after beating second seeds Argentina 2-0 in two singles rubbers that both went to championship tiebreaks.
Having finished fifth and seventh in World Group 2 in their only two previous Invacare World Team Cup appearances over the last two years, Colombia got off to a slow start in their first final, but Mauricio Vega put in a supreme effort to come from behind and secure a 2-6, 6-4, 10-1 victory over Oscar Diaz.
Junior Masters champion Gustavo Fernandez breezed through the second set of the second singles rubber against the impressive Elicier Oquendo for the loss of just one game, but having won the important points in the opening set, Oquendo again had final say as he closed out a 6-3, 1-6, 10-8 victory.
The final day of competition at the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event also saw the third and fourth play-off in World Group 1, the play-off for ninth and tenth places, as well as both world group promotion and relegation ties.
Marc McCarroll gave Great Britain a 1-0 lead against now dethroned 2009 champions France in the third and fourth play-off, but Paralympic champions Stephane Houdet and Michael Jeremiasz went on to seal the tie after a comprehensive 6-2, 6-0 victory over McCarroll and Gordon Reid.
Germany and Thailand also retained their positions in World Group 1 after play-off victories over Sri Lanka and Iran respectively, while Fabian Mazzei and Gimmi Mestriner clinched ninth place for Italy after coming from a rubber behind to beat Canada.
Netherlands beat Japan in Women’s Einal
Netherlands won their 23rd Invacare World Team Cup women’s title on Saturday after a 2-0 win over Japan in Antalya, Turkey.
Sixteen year-old Japanese No.2 Yui Kamiji came within two points of taking the first set of the opening singles rubber from world No. 7 Jiske Griffioen (NED), but Griffioen fought back to assert late in the set and went on to seal a 7-5, 6-1 victory in the final.
Aniek van Koot then continued her fine season so far as she completed her first Invacare World Team Cup as the leader of the Dutch women’s team with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Kanako Domori.
