Australia earns first World Team Cup junior title

Australia claimed the World Team Cup junior title for the first time yesterday (17 May) at this year’s edition of the International Tennis Federation’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event, beating Great Britain 2-1 in the final.

In the process, the team of Finn Broadbent, Riley Dumsday, Hayley Slocombe and captain Greg Crump earned Australia a place alongside Netherlands and the USA as the only nations to have won the men’s, women’s, quad and junior titles in the illustrious 25-year history of the World Team Cup.

Crump has now captained Australia to men’s, women’s and junior titles.

Friday’s final saw Australia line up against Great Britain for the second time in Ramat HaSharon, Israel, after Great Britain gained a 2-1 win over Australia in the round-robin phase of the competition.

However, with Australia changing its nominated players for the two singles rubbers, Dumsday claimed a tense opening contest against Ben Bartram 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-4.

With Dahnon Ward maintaining his unbeaten singles record during the week for Great Britain, he wrapped up his singles rubber against Broadbent 6-2, 6-2, forcing a deciding doubles rubber between the two teams once again.

The doubles produced great excitement as Australia recovered from 3-1 down to take the opening set 6-4. Great Britain returned serve, taking the second set 2-6 and sending the final into a tiebreaker.

Both teams exchanged match points, before a double fault from Ward confirmed Australia as the champion with a 6-4, 2-6 (14-12) victory.

By the International Tennis Federation
Posted: 18/05/2019