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Latest News & Events 2005 Florida Open International Wheelchair Tennis Championships American Paralympic gold medallists David Wagner and Nick Taylor retained the Quad Open doubles title at the 2005 Florida Open International Wheelchair Tennis Championships but all of the other major events were won by European players. Two 23-year-olds, one the most dominant player in the sport, and the other an up-and-comer, won the Women’s and Men’s Open championships respectively. Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands won her third straight Florida Open title and fourth overall and in doing so extended her singles winning streak to 123 consecutive matches. Michael Jeremiasz of France had the best week of his four-year career to capture the men’s crown. Peter Norfolk of Great Britain repeated as the Quad singles champion. The 15th annual Florida Open was played April 6-10 at the 17-court Patch Reef Park Tennis Center in Boca Raton, FL. The event is also the United States Tennis Association’s National Wheelchair Hardcourt Championships. The theme for 2005 was “15 years of Love” for the tournament which began in 1991 as a local event with 19 players competing. The Florida Open now bills itself as the largest wheelchair tennis tournament in the world and this year’s edition had 150 players from 14 countries and 24 states participating. It is conducted by Bruce and Verena Karr, founders of the National Wheelchair Sports Fund, with cooperation from the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District and The City of Boca Raton. “Everyone connected with the Florida Open is delighted that our event is so highly regarded by the players around the world and the ITF (International Tennis Federation). We will continue to improve every year so that the Florida Open is always a memorable experience for all the players, coaches, volunteers, families and friends who attend,” Bruce Karr said. Memories of his third Florida Open will be long lasting for Jeremiasz. He came into the event ranked No. 3 in the world and showed that his rise to such a lofty position in a span of four years is no fluke. He beat veteran Martin Legner of Austria, 6-4, 6-0, in the quarterfinals, ousted No. 1-ranked Robin Ammerlaan of the Netherlands, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, in the semifinals and then took out No.-2 ranked David Hall of Australia, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Hall had a 17-0 record against Jeremiasz in previous singles encounters. “Beating Martin, Robin and David is my best week ever,” Jeremiasz said. “I had an operation in December and hadn’t touched a racquet in three months until I started training in March. I worked on chair skills and fitness during that time. It made me more motivated. I was relaxed and felt no pressure coming into this tournament. My game came back.” Hall, a three-time Florida Open champ, and a seven-time finalist, said, “I really didn’t take advantage of my chances but in all areas Michael played better than I did. There’s a whole bunch of guys who can win any week but Michael has the potential to be on top for many years.” Vergeer, however, has been atop the world rankings for five years already and no female player looms ready to unseat the 2000 and 2004 Paralympic singles and doubles gold medallist. She defeated Sharon Walraven of the Netherlands, ranked No.-3 in the world at the time, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Vergeer is 31-0 against Walraven. Vergeer had lost only four games in the three matches she won to get to the final. “The problem with playing Esther is that she doesn’t have a weak point,” Walraven said. “She is the most complete tennis player. She is mentally tough and whenever she goes on the court she takes it serious.” The players regarded as having the potential to eventually beat Vergeer are fellow Dutch players and Jischke Griffioen and Korie Homan and 14-year-old Aniek VanKoot. “Maybe Jischke or Korie in two years and Aniek is a huge talent and could beat me in four or five years,” Vergeer said in purely analytical terms. Vergeer combined with the 19-year-old Griffioen to win the Women’s Open doubles, Vergeer’s third doubles title in a row at the Florida Open and fifth overall. “I like Florida and I like this tournament,” Vergeer said. “I think about it but I don’t have an answer to it,” Vergeer said about the magnitude of her 123-match winning streak. In a country where soccer players, swimmers and speed skaters are sports heroes, Vergeer has made a splash for disabled athletes. While Ammerlaan, also a Paralympic gold medallist, remains an unknown to most in the Netherlands, he said a poll conducted by a Dutch television station reported that 35 per cent of sports fans there have heard of Vergeer. “To win so many in a row is amazing,” Ammerlaan said. Ammerlaan, who was the defending singles champ, combined with Jeremiasz to win the doubles championship against Legner and Hall. The Quad singles final between Norfolk and Wagner of Oro Valley, AZ, was rematch of the 2004 final and a showdown between the top two-ranked Quads in the world. After losing the first set, 6-3, Norfolk came back to win 6-4, 6-4. However, in the Quad doubles final, Wagner and Taylor of Wichita, KS, downed Norfolk and Sarah Hunter of Canada, 6-1, 6-3. “The Florida Open is really a neat tournament, “ Norfolk said. “I love the weather and I love the people here.” The other Open division winners were: Claude Brunet of Canada, second draw singles; Robinson Mendez and Christian Desgroux of Chile, second draw doubles; Pablo Arraya of Chile, Quad second draw singles; Araya and Rodrigo Acevedo of Chile, Quad second draw doubles; Matt Farmen of Eugene, OR, junior singles. Also, Jeff Kegler, Whittier, NC, A singles; Rick Cooper of Keller, TX, and Wayne Leavitt of Carrollton, TX, A doubles; Emmy Mary Kaiser of Fort Mitchell, KY, women’s A singles; Marco Colombo of Colombia, Quad A singles; Jeff Sale of Oak Leaf, TX, B singles; Nicholas Mancuso of Boynton Beach, FL and Johnny McGinn of Jackson, MS, B doubles; Fernando Dijubes of Hialeah, FL, C singles; Dijubes and Allen Fiske of Miami, C doubles; Lee Hinson of Jacksonville, FL, and Johnny Johnston of Gainesville, FL, senior Open doubles; and David Gant of Riviera Beach, FL, and Joseph Hawkins of Phoenix, AZ, senior B doubles. Friday of the tournament was a hectic day with three rain delays but it didn’t detract from the fun of the player party with the theme “We Are Family” at the Embassy Suites Hotel. An annual highlight of the party is the presentation of the BBG Award by Verena Karr. The Bs are Bill Fairbanks and Bruce Karr and the G is the late George McFadden who were regarded as the “gatekeepers” of the wheelchair tennis tour in the United States for many years. It is presented to a person the Karrs feel embodies the spirit of volunteerism, passion and commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. The 2005 recipient is longtime highly-ranked American player Karin Korb of Atlanta, GA. The two major manufacturers of playing chairs also make a presentation of a new chair to a worthy player each year during the player party with Joseph Hawkins the recipient of an Invacare chair and Emmy Mary Kaiser the recipient of a Quickie chair. A pair of Spinergy wheels were presented to Jose Gomez of Greenacres, FL. |
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