Dutch players are strong contenders at the Beijing Paralympic tennis event

I can't believe I didn't even write a single post about the Paralympic tennis event Beijing. Shame on me! The U.S. Open is not a good excuse not to write.


Did your local TV network show the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games last Saturday?

Well done to China for such a tremendous effort! Judging from the photos, it matches the quality of the Beijing Olympics last month. Even Hong Kong singer Andy Lau performed at this event!

Now emphasizing on the wheelchair tennis, it was first introduced at the 1988 Seoul Paralympic Games as a demonstration sport and became a full-medal sport at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona.

Shingo Kunieda of Japan

This year four-time gold medallist Esther Vergeer (Netherland) and Shingo Kunieda (Japan) head the entries for the wheelchair tennis event at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics on 8-15 September.

Esther Vergeer, a hot favourite, at the Great Wall of China.

Esther Vergeer will bid for her third successive gold medal in both singles and doubles in Beijing. The 26-year-old has remained unbeaten in the women's singles since 2003.

Her strongest challenges will come from Frenchwoman Florence Gravellier, Marie-Annick Sevenans of Belgium and Dong Fuli from China.

Robin Ammerlaan is the defending champion.

There is also a strong Dutch entry in the men's singles, with Robin Ammerlaan, defending his title, alongside Maikel Scheffers and Ronald Vink.

There will be six wheelchair tennis events. They include men's singles and doubles, women's singles and doubles, and quad singles and doubles.

(Images via ITF Tennis website, Beijing Paralympic official website)