Canada’s high wheelchair tennis participant Rob Shaw might have one eye on the Paralympics in August, however he’s doing all the appropriate 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 Might, choosing up a pair of titles.
In consecutive weeks, Shaw received 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. Total, 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 last of 2024.
Learn additionally: U15 Prospects Headline Halifax Occasion
Within the semifinals of that occasion, he scored a large victory, taking down world No. 4 Donald Ramphadi in straight units on a busy day the place he performed (and received) each his quarter and semifinal matches.
“At the moment might be the perfect I’ve felt on a tennis courtroom in near a yr,” stated Shaw after the win over Ramphadi. “I absolutely dedicated to taking part in the best way I needed to play and mentally stayed extraordinarily sturdy, regardless of some difficult moments. There have been alternatives for me to self implode, or hand over, however I dug deep once 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 last 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 over the past 4 weeks, every choosing up their third ITF doubles title of the yr.
The identical week that Shaw received 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 received three titles in a season.
Learn additionally: Dabrowski, Andreescu Efficiently Return on Grass
Venos practically made it two Canadian victories at that occasion in Padova as he reached the lads’s doubles last 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 every 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 lads’s facet, 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 can be partially based mostly on the ITF Wheelchair Singles World Rating on July 15, leaving just 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 is just not 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.
Learn additionally: The Wonders of Grass-Courtroom Tennis
The ladies face an excellent longer street. High Canadian Natalia Lanuche is 29 spots outdoors the High 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.
