Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/132044
ITF wheelchair CIRCUIT Vergeer's gold medal victory took her unbeaten run to a staggering 470 matches and 120 tournaments T he London 2012 Paralympic Games provided much of the focus in what was another historic year for wheelchair tennis. With demand for tickets at an all-time high, huge crowds witnessed eight enthralling days at the purpose-built Eton Manor venue at the Olympic Park as 112 players from 31 countries took to the courts. Esther Vergeer secured her fourth women's singles gold medal by defeating Aniek van Koot, while Jiske Griffioen completed an all-Dutch women's podium when claiming the bronze. This victory took Vergeer's unbeaten run to a staggering 470 matches and 120 tournaments. Vergeer overtook Australian David Hall as the winner of the most Paralympic Tennis Event medals, extending her tally to seven gold and one silver medal after partnering Marjolein Buis to defeat Griffioen and van Koot in another all-Dutch women's doubles final. Shingo Kunieda also created history in London, becoming the first player to win back-to-back Paralympic men's singles gold 24 DEVELOPMENT medals after defeating world No. 1 Stephane Houdet (FRA), while Stefan Olsson and Peter Vikstrom won Sweden's first Paralympic Tennis Event gold medal in the men's doubles. Israel made the headlines in the quad singles, after Shraga Weinberg overcame two-time gold medallist Peter Norfolk in the quarterfinals, and Noam Gershony won Israel's first Paralympic Tennis Event gold medal, defeating David Wagner (USA) in the final. Before the end of the year it was announced that as part of wheelchair tennis's legacy from the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the Olympic Park would host the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters from 2014-16. In 2012, 154 tournaments in over 40 countries took place on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour. Kunieda missed the first part of the season following elbow surgery. Returning to action in May, Kunieda ended the year by capturing the sport's two major titles to have so far eluded him at the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters and the Invacare Doubles Masters.