Winners crowned at national wheelchair tennis championships
Anderson Parker from New South Wales won the open men's singles division at the 2023 Australian Wheelchair Tennis National Championships.
Melbourne, Australia, 13 November 2023 | Leigh Rogers
Anderson Parker has achieved a new milestone in his return to tennis, sweeping national titles for the first time.
The 25-year-old from Sydney won the open men’s singles and doubles titles at the 2023 Australian Wheelchair Tennis National Championships, held at Melbourne Park from 10-12 November.
Parker was a top-ranked junior before taking a seven-year break from the sport. His comeback, which began in 2022, continues to gain spectacular momentum.
He secured victory in the open men’s singles division with a hard-fought 2-6 6-1 7-6(1) triumph against top seed Ben Weekes in the final.
Weekes, a five-time Paralympian, was the defending champion and is currently ranked 54 places higher in the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour world rankings.
Parker teamed with Victorian Martyn Dunn to claim the open men’s doubles title, beating Victorian teens Riley Dumsday and Saalim Naser 6-2 6-3 in the final.
“It was a fantastic tournament with some exciting results,” Tournament Director Daniel O’Neill said.
“To see Anderson Parker’s first win in the men’s singles final, having only just returned to the sport over the past 18 months, was impressive.
“Hayley Slocombe remains one of the country’s best players on the women’s side, while Heath Davidson won another Australian title in the quad division.”
| Australian Wheelchair Tennis National Championships 2023 champions |
|
| Division | Champion |
| Open men’s singles | Anderson Parker (NSW) |
| Open women’s singles | Hayley Slocombe (NSW) |
| Quad singles | Heath Davidson (Vic) |
| Open men’s doubles | Martyn Dunn (Vic)/Anderson Parker (NSW) |
| Open women’s doubles | Isla Gillespie (NSW)/Hayley Slocombe (NSW) |
| 35+ mixed singles | Anthony Bonaccurso (Vic) |
| Open junior singles | Yassin Hill (Vic) |
| 14/u junior singles | Sonny Rennison (Vic) |
| Open junior doubles | Gillie Lumby (Vic)/Sonny Rennison (Vic) |
For winning the open singles divisions, Parker and Slocombe earn wildcards into an Australian Wheelchair Summer Series event in Melbourne during January 2024.
O’Neill was also impressed with the fierce competition across the junior events.
“We have a terrific group of junior players coming through the high-performance programs, so it’s great to see their continued development,” he said.
“Yassin Hill, a 16-year-old from Victoria, won the junior singles event for the first time and Jin Woodman, a 14-year-old also from Victoria, showcased his potential with runner-up results in both the junior singles and quad events.
“Sonny Rennison (aged 11) and Arlo Shawcross (aged 12) were others to perform extremely well over the weekend.”
> VIEW: Full results from the 2023 Australian Wheelchair Tennis National Championships
Find your way to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!
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