Double joy for Whiley (From Halesowen News)

Double joy for Whiley

11:00am Sunday 3rd March 2013 in Sport

HALESOWEN wheelchair tennis star Jordanne Whiley got her season off to a flying start with a double title success.

The Paralympic bronze medallist won both the singles and doubles titles at the North West Challenge, the first of seven British-based world ranking events on the 2013 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour.

Having played just one tournament since London 2012, top seed Whiley eased her way into the ITF 3 tournament as she began her bid to add to the hat-trick of titles she had already won at South Ribble Tennis Centre.

The British number two and top seed beat fellow Brit Debbie Brazier 6-1 6-1 in her opening match and then secured a comprehensive 6-1 6-2 victory over third seed Emily Chene in the semi-finals.

Whiley then raced into a 5-0 lead on route to claiming the first set against France’s Christine Schoenn in the final and quickly closed out the second for a 6-3 6-1 victory. In the doubles, Whiley was partnered by Russia’s Evgeniya Korotkina and the pair dropped just three games on their way to the final, where they claimed a 6-4 7-5 win.

Whiley said: “I’ve just come out of a three-month training regime, so it’s great to be back to playing matches again and it’s always great to win your first tournament of the season.

“It gives me a lot of confidence.”

Whiley will look to make it back-to-back wins at this week’s North East Wheelchair Tennis Tournment in Sunderland.