By Tom Degun

July 2 - Britain’s number one Lucy Shuker (pictured) has revealed that she is focused on going one better than last year in the Wimbledon women’s doubles event by winning the prestigious Grand Slam event on home soil.



Shuker is partnered by Australia’s Daniela di Toro after the pair finished runners-up in 2009.

The duo today beat French-Dutch pairing of Florence Alix-Gravellier and Jiske Griffioen 7-6 3-6 6-3 in the first women’s doubles semi-final while the world number one singles and doubles player Esther Vergeer partners fellow Dutchwoman Sharon Walraven beat Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands and Belgium’s Annick Sevenans 6-0 6-3 in the other semi-final.

Shuker said: "After beating Florence and Jiske in our semi-final last year, we know it will be a tough match again this year and I'm looking forward to it."

Shuker added that the competition is very even as Vergeer will not be competing alongside world number two Korie Homan this year with Homan out injured.

She said: "With Esther not playing with Korie this year I think it’s quite a wide open event and either semi-final would have been tough, so it’s a challenge we’re not taking lightly."

Vergeer though, who won the inaugural Wimbledon women’s wheelchair doubles title in 2009 alongside Homan, admitted that she is excited about competing with Walraven after the pair finished as runners up at Roland Garros in the French Open.

The five-time Paralympic champion said: "After Korie got injured, Roland Garros was the first doubles tournament Sharon and I have played together since 2005 so it takes time to get used to playing together again and recognising our strengths.

"Wimbledon will be different again as it is the only tournament we play on grass but after the unbelievable feeling of winning here last year I definitely want to achieve it again."

The wheelchair tennis doubles events will continue tomorrow with Australian Open and Roland Garros champions Stephane Houdet of France and Shingo Kunieda of Japan facing the all-French pairing of Frederic Cattaneo and Nicolas Peifer. 

Houdet is bidding follow up his success in the event in 2009 while Kunieda was on the winning team in 2006.

Meanwhile, reigning wheelchair tennis doubles Masters champions Maikel Scheffers and Ronald Vink of the Netherlands have their compatriot Robin Ammerlaan and Sweden’s Stefan Olsson on the other side of the net in the second semi-final. 

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