HELENSBURGH wheelchair tennis star Gordon Reid got off to a winning start yesterday (Wednesday) as he started his bid for the Uniqlo Wheelchair Doubles Masters in California.
World number five Reid is playing alongside Frenchman Michael Jeremiasz, the pair finished runners-up in the men’s doubles in the same tournament last year.
The duo have Wimbledon champions Gustavo Fernandez and Nicolas Peifer of France in their round-robin pool as well as Sweden’s London 2012 men’s doubles gold medallists Stefan Olsson and Peter Vikstrom.
With the top two advancing from each group Reid and Jeremiasz got off to the perfect start by beating the fourth team in the group Japenese pair Shingo Kunieda and Takuya Miki 7-5, 6-3.
They will play Gustavo Fernandez and Nicolas Peifer overnight in their second tie, the top two in the group will advance to the semi-final on Friday.
Reid was delighted with his start in Mission Viejo.
He said: “It was good to get the win in the bag especially after a fairly slow start to the match. We always thought we were in control and got the result in the end. There is definitely more to come though.” Nine Brits on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme having qualified for the men’s, women’s and quad events at the Doubles Masters for the second time in three years.
Reid is aiming for a Masters double this year as he will also contest the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters in London on December 2-6.
The other men’s round-robin pool features three Brits as Alfie Hewett makes his Doubles Masters debut and Marc McCarroll and David Phillipson return to Mission Viejo to bid to improve on their sixth place finish in 2014.
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