By Tom Degun

May 3 - Britain’s 11-strong squad, which includes women’s world number 13 Jordanne Whiley (pictured), enjoyed a largely successful start to the 2010 Invacare World Team Cup in Antalya, Turkey.



Despite the quad team narrowly losing out to Sweden, the side picked up victories in each of the men’s, women’s and junior events.

Britain’s men and women are now both through to their respective quarter-finals, with the women’s team of Whiley, Kay Forshaw and Louise Hunt set to face the United States on centre court during tomorrow's second day of play at Club Ali Bey.

The women’s trio, who are the second seeds this year, beat Spain in a deciding doubles rubber despite the absence of current British number one Lucy Shuker. 

In her first World Team Cup since 2003, former National champion Forshaw was outclassed by the former Spanish number one Lola Ochoa in the opening singles rubber as she lost 6-3, 6-2. 

However, 17-year-old Whiley proved the saviour for Britain, the second seeds and last year’s runners-up.

The world’s number one ranked junior kept Britain in the tie with a comfortable 6-1, 6-1 victory over Barbara Vidal and then paired up with Hunt to win the deciding doubles rubber by beating Elena Jacinto and Ochoa 6-3, 6-1.

Whiley said: "It wasn’t the hardest opening tie we could have had, but it wasn’t the easiest either and it’s nice to get it out the way and be able to concentrate on what we think will be harder task against the USA.

"In my singles I didn’t serve that well, but I played pretty well otherwise and we put up a solid performance to win the doubles, so just need to keep focussed now."

In the men’s draw, fourth seeds Britain also won a deciding doubles rubber against Korea to get off to a winning start in World Group 1.

Korea started well after Ha-Gel Lee beat Marc McCarroll 6-4, 6-4 but David Phillipson (pictured) replied for Britain with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Sang-Ho Oh.

Phillipson then paired up with Gordon Reid to win the doubles 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

After a day off, Britain’s men face Slovakia on Wednesday (May 5) in the quarter-finals as they bid to reach the semi-finals of World Group 1 for the first time since 2002.
 
Meanwhile, Britain’s junior team of Alfie Hewitt and Josh Steels secured victory over the US.

Twelve-year-old Hewitt, who is making his Invacare World Team Cup competitive debut, got his international career in the event off to a marvellous start as he edged a close match against America's Ryan Nelson 7-5, 6-4.

Mackenzie Soldan kept the US in the tie after beating Steels 6-0, 7-6 but Hewitt and Steels clinched the deciding doubles 6-3, 6-3 to complete a fine performance. 

Britain’s quad team struggled in the absence of world number one Peter Norfolk second as Antony Cotterill and Jon Parfitt lost both their singles matches to the higher ranked Swedish players Anders Hard and Johan Andersson.

Adam Field partnered Cotterill for the doubles rubber, which ended in a 6-4, 6-2 win for the Swedish team.

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