Regina’s Mitch McIntyre has been nominated for the Tennis Canada Quad Team at the 2018 World Team Cup. Tennis Saskatchewan congratulates Mitch on his hard work and dedication to the sport. We wish him all the best in the Netherlands this spring! Here’s Tennis Canada’s press release regarding the team nomination:
TENNIS CANADA NOMINATES QUAD TEAM FOR 2018 BNP PARIBAS WORLD TEAM CUP IN THE NETHERLANDS
Montreal, February 20, 2018 – Canada will be well represented at the 2018 BNP Paribas World Team Cup as three players will travel to Apeldoorn, Netherlands to compete for the biggest team title in wheelchair tennis. Considered to be the Davis Cup and Fed Cup of wheelchair tennis, the tournament will see 25 nations play across four different categories (men’s, women’s, quad, and junior) from May 28 to June 3, 2018.
The nation will be sending an experienced contingent of players to compete in the quad division, lead by Gary Luker (Stoney Creek, ON), who has now been nominated an impressive 10 times. He is joined by Rob Shaw (North Bay, ON) and team rookie Mitch McIntyre (Regina, SK), who will be competing in his very first World Team Cup. Quad team captain Christian Gingras (Quebec City) will be joined by team manager Kai Schrameyer (Vancouver) and athletic therapist Mara Chaplin (Toronto) to provide the team’s support.
“It’s always an honour being asked to represent Canada. This year is particularly special as it will be my 10th time. Every year is a new experience and I’m looking to build on the success we had last year,” said Luker about the nomination.
“Tennis Canada is excited about the quality team set to represent Canada at the 2018 World Team Cup in the Netherlands. Veteran team members Rob Shaw and Gary Luker will be joined by newcomer Mitch McIntyre to form a team with an excellent mixture of experience and energy. The team is looking to move into the Top 5 with a strong performance at this year’s event,” stated Janet Petras, Director of Wheelchair tennis at Tennis Canada.
Canada is looking to better their recent Top 6 finishes by moving into the Top 5 this year, which would secure their direct entry into the 2019 World Team Cup. However, the road will not be easy as the tournament will be disputed on clay, a surface which the Canadians are less familiar with.
First-time nominee Mitch McIntyre did not hold back his enthusiasm when speaking about his upcoming participation in the tournament. “I’m extremely honoured and excited for the opportunity to represent Canada on the international stage at World Team Cup this year. I’ve worked really hard to reach this point in my tennis career and it’s a dream come true. Thank you to Tennis Canada for the nomination!”
“I’m honoured once again to be nominated to represent my country on the world stage. Last year we left too many points on the court so I’m looking forward to redemption this year in Apeldoorn,” said Rob Shaw about the upcoming competition.
Competing alongside Canada in the quad division is the United States, Great Britain, Israel, the Netherlands, Japan and two additional nations through wild card entries. The BNP Paribas World Team Cup runs from May 28 to June 3 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.