Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/441551
ITFWORLD WINTER 2014 25 www.itftennis.com memories of the place, having each won medals two years earlier. "Being back in London brought back so many great memories for me and my family," said van Koot, who won a silver medal at the Paralympics. "London is a really good place for me." A gold medallist at the London Paralympics, Kunieda had more success in the city. The Japanese's victory over France's Nicolas Peifer gave him a third successive title at the Masters. "I'm very happy to have defended my Masters title, and to win three years in a row. I prayed that I would play well so I am very satisfied with this result," said Kuneida, who demonstrated why he has established himself as the world No. 1. "I am always looking to improve myself and to play better and better tennis. I knew that it would be a tough match in the final, but I also knew that if I played well in the final, I would be able to win." Kuneida's victory came before a sell- out crowd. "The crowd were really great. There were a lot of Japanese fans, and I hope that wheelchair tennis is getting more popular in the UK, and that next year even more people will come to watch." Wagner, who won a silver medal at the Paralympics, was the Masters quad singles champion for an unsurpassed seventh time. "It's just a real honour to be able to represent the USA and to play the best tennis that I can whenever I'm on court," Wagner observed after beating Australia's Dylan Alcott. "This is my seventh Masters title, which is unheard of, so I'm just going to celebrate now. It's a dream come true." For all the disappointment that Whiley felt after failing to convert those match points against van Koot, she responded by winning the play-off for third place. And with Britain's Gordon Reid finishing third in the men's singles, it was a decent tournament for the home players. Whiley had been attempting to win Masters titles in both singles and doubles. The Uniqlo Wheelchair Doubles Masters, which was held in Mission Viejo in California earlier in November, saw Whiley and Japan's Yui Kamiji win the women's title, while the Belgian-French pair of Joachim Gerard and Stephane Houdet were champions in the men's competition. Wagner, in partnership with fellow American Nick Taylor, won the quad doubles title, so his victory in London completed his Masters double. Shingo Kunieda completed a hat-trick of NEC Masters titles Nicolas Peifer reached his first NEC Masters final David Wagner lifted both the singles and doubles Masters quad trophies 2012 champion Jiske Griffioen was runner-up for the second successive year