ITF

with Gerard firing shots all over the court that would have been winners against anyone else, Kunieda somehow survived the bombardment. That looked as if it might have been the turning point when the Japanese then stormed into a 3-0 lead, but the Belgian is as unflinching and as expressionless as the ice-man Bjorn Borg himself and he reeled off six games without reply to win 75 26 63. Not even Usain Bolt, at the nearby Olympic Stadium, made a more impressive dash for the finish. The women's event was rather straightforward by comparison. Jiske Griffioen may not yet have scaled the heights in the game of Kunieda, but she has been tipped for greatness by someone with an even bigger name than the Japanese — her retired Dutch compatriot and fellow Woerden native Esther Vergeer. The 2015 season has been Griffioen's best by far, winning her first two Grand Slam titles in Melbourne and Paris and becoming world No. 1 for the first time. She was Masters champion in 2012, but in the subsequent two years had to be satisfied with finishing runner-up. "She's had an amazing season and developed herself as a real athlete — you can tell," said Vergeer, who expects Griffioen to succeed her as Paralympic champion in Rio in 2016. Griffioen maintained her form throughout the week — when she was unbeaten — and made relatively short work of the 40-year-old German Sabine Ellerbrock in the final, winning 62 62. David Wagner has had things largely all his own way in the quad event these past 12 years, but one did wonder if the young South African, Lucas Sithole, might deny him his eighth Masters title. However, the American has a steady nerve and just stuck to his placement game, eventually coming through to win 76 64. Sithole, the highest-ranked triple amputee at No. 3 — on service he has to throw the ball up and hit it with the same hand — won still more admirers in London and will surely carry off this title one day. It was Wagner's second Masters title of the year — he won with fellow American Nick Taylor at the UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters in Mission Viejo, California in November, beating Jamie Burdekin and Andy Lapthorne, of Great Britain, 64 36 63. Griffioen was also among the winners at the doubles year-end event. She and countrywoman Aniek van Koot beat Yui Kamiji, of Japan, and Britain's Jordanne Whiley 76 64 while Brit Gordon Reid and his French partner Michael Jeremiasz scored a notable 61 64 victory against Gerard and Houdet. ITFWORLD WINTER 2015 27 Jordanne Whiley enjoyed home crowd support Jiske Griffioen capped her best-ever year with the NEC Masters title UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters champions Nick Taylor and David Wagner with USTA President Katrina Adams Lucas Sithole was quad runner-up in London

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