STATOIL MASTERS TENNIS – WHEELCHAIR TENNIS & SPECIAL OLYMPICS STARS PLAY AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Written by: Staff on 20th November 2014

Wheelchair Tennis Package Australian Open 2013

STATOIL MASTERS TENNIS - WHEELCHAIR TENNIS & SPECIAL OLYMPICS STARS PLAY AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL

epa03557711 WHEELCHAIR TENNIS PACKAGE AUSTRALIAN OPEN Close up of the wheelchair of US player Adam Kellerman during a men's wheelchair tennis singles match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 23 January 2013. Kellerman began playing wheelchair tennis at the age of 16 after having a hip surgery due to cancer at the age of 13. Wheelchair Tennis took place in the First Grand Slam of the Year In Melbourne Park from 23-28 January 2013, Australia. The top seven ranked players from the various countries plus a wirldcard entry participated from the men and women events. In the 1970s Brad Parks, an acrobatic skier who suffered an injury which leaves him paraplegic, and wheelchair athlete Jeff Minnenbraker started promoting wheelchair tennis. In 1977 the Los Angeles City Parks and Recreation Department hosted the first ever wheelchair tennis tournament with around 20 players. EPA/Narendra Shrestha |

STATOIL MASTERS TENNIS

THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

ATP CHAMPIONS TOUR

3-7 DECEMBER

LONDON

Wheelchair Tennis and Special Olympics Stars To Feature At Statoil Masters Tennis

The Statoil Masters Tennis tournament has added stars of the Special Olympics and two of the best wheelchair players in the world to its evening schedules of matches at the Royal Albert Hall on the 3rd and 4th December respectively.

On Wednesday December 3rd, Peter Millar (No 4 in the INAS World Rankings) will take on Thomas Mellor (No 2 in the INAS World Rankings) in a Special Olympics exhibition to encourage more people with learning disabilities to start playing tennis. On Thursday night, the history-making Jordanne Whiley will take on World No.3 Gordon Reid to showcase the fantastic sport of wheelchair tennis. Both exhibitions will take place at 7pm, before the Statoil Masters Tennis matches start at 7.30pm.

Earlier this year, 22 year-old Whiley became the first ever British tennis player to win the calendar Grand Slam as she claimed the women’s doubles titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments with Japanese partner Yui Kamiji. She also made history in 2012 when she became the first British woman to win a wheelchair tennis medal at the Paralympic Games when she took bronze with Lucy Shuker at London 2012.

Reid, 23, has just been voted Tennis Scotland’s International Player of the Year ahead of Andy Murray after claiming 5 singles and 4 doubles titles in 2014. World No.6 Whiley said:

“With the help of the Tennis Foundation and the success of British players this year, the profile of wheelchair tennis is growing bigger and bigger and it’s brilliant to be able to showcase our sport to a new audience. Playing in front of a packed crowd, especially at such an amazing venue like the Royal Albert Hall, is always exciting and both Gordon and I are really looking forward to it.”

Andrew Castle, an ambassador for Wheelchair Tennis, said:

“Wheelchair tennis is tennis. It is a demanding test of strength, will and technique whether in a chair or not. I love watching the legends of wheelchair tennis play and I’m sure you will too.”

French player Stephane Houdet in action during a men’s singles match in the wheelchair competition at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 23 January 2013. Houdet was an accomplished able-bodied junior tennis player in France before he had a motorbike accident at the age 24. He began playing wheelchair tennis when he was 34. Wheelchair Tennis took place in the First Grand Slam of the Year In Melbourne Park from 23-28 January 2013, Australia. The top seven ranked players from the various countries plus a wirldcard entry participated from the men and women events. In the 1970s Brad Parks, an acrobatic skier who suffered an injury which leaves him paraplegic, and wheelchair athlete Jeff Minnenbraker started promoting wheelchair tennis. In 1977 the Los Angeles City Parks and Recreation Department hosted the first ever wheelchair tennis tournament with around 20 players. EPA/Narendra Shrestha

Chris Hull, Communications Director of Special Olympics Great Britain, said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Peter and Thomas to be on the same sporting bill as three-time former Wimbledon Champion John McEnroe, former US Open Champion Andy Roddick, former Great Britain Davis Cup stalwarts Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski and trick-shot artist Mansour Bahrami, amongst many others. This will give them huge amounts of confidence going forward in their own sporting pursuits.”

Special Olympics GB is the largest registered charity providing year round sports training and competition opportunities for people with intellectual (learning) disabilities in England, Scotland and Wales. Almost 1.5 million people in the UK (2% of the population) have an intellectual disability.

The Statoil Masters Tennis tournament will also feature an ATP Champions Tour event with two groups of three players. Tim Henman, Fernando Gonzalez and Thomas Enqvist are in Group A, with Andy Roddick, Greg Rusedski and Sergi Bruguera due to face off in Group B. John McEnroe will also meet Pat Cash and Henri Leconte in exhibition singles matches, and in doubles action, Mansour Bahrami will lead an all-star cast.

On finals day on Sunday 7th December, the evening session will feature a Mylan WTT Smash Hits charity event which will raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The two-teams, led by Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King, will see Kim Clijsters, Sabine Lisicki, Martina Hingis and Heather Watson joining McEnroe, Roddick, Henman and Rusedski.

The Statoil Masters Tennis has enjoyed record ticket-sales so far in 2014 and the last few tickets remain, with prices from £18.50 per person, at http://www.statoilmasterstennis.com/tickets/ or by calling the Royal Albert Hall box office on: +44 (0) 20 7070 4404.

Hospitality packages are also available via www.statoilmasterstennis.com/hospitality or by calling +44 (0) 20 8233 5854.

Statoil Masters Tennis Order of Play: http://www.statoilmasterstennis.

About Statoil (UK) Ltd

Statoil is an international energy company with operations in 36 countries. Building on 40 years of experience from oil and gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf, we are committed to accommodating the world’s energy needs in a responsible manner, applying technology and creating innovative business solutions. We are headquartered in Stavanger, Norway with approx. 23,000 employees worldwide, and are listed on the New York and Oslo stock exchanges. More information is available at www.Statoil.com.

Topics: Royal Albert Hall, Special Olympics, Statoil Masters Tennis, Wheelchair Tennis

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10sBalls_com says:

November 20, 2014 at 7:25 pm

STATOIL MASTERS #Tennis – #WheelchairTennis & #SpecialOlympics STARS PLAY AT #RoyalAlbertHall- http://t.co/49GUIm99MP
rubesita says:

November 21, 2014 at 3:34 pm

RT @DBannerSF: STATOIL MASTERS TENNIS – WHEELCHAIR TENNIS & SPECIAL OLYMPICS STARS PLAY AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL http://t.co/zhHY7HHcgc