Virtus World Tennis Championships 2024: Great Britain pocket four gold medals in France
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Great Britain’s learning disability team become the most successful national team for a second consecutive year after seizing four gold medals at the 2024 Virtus World Tennis Championships.
The seven-strong squad, who last year became the most decorated team at the summit of all international learning disability (LD) tournaments, collectively won 11 medals during their stint in Annecy, France, including four gold, one silver, and six bronze.
The GB tennis team selections are managed by the LTA, with entry to the event made possible by SportExcel, the official Great Britain member of Virtus.
Virtus follow a classification process whereby all players are selected with consideration to their level of intellectual impairment, separating them into three different classes/draws:
- II-1 – for athletes with an intellectual impairment
- II-2 – for athletes with significant intellectual impairment
- II-3 - for athletes with high functioning autism
The success of GB’s Dominic Iannotti equated to three of the four gold medals won by Great Britain between the 7-15 September, taking home the gold in the II-1 men’s doubles, the men’s team and the mixed doubles.
The former II-1 men’s world No.1 partnered the equally experienced Fabrice Higgins to set up their successful Championship tilt, pipping second seeds Archie Graham and Josh Holloway of Australia to the title after their nail-biting 4-2, 1-4, (10-7) victory.
Iannotti, the 2019 World Champion, also medalled in the II-1 men’s singles after beating Frenchman Arthur Etchebarne 6-1, 6-4 in the bronze medal match before winning gold in the mixed doubles alongside Anna McBride.
Meanwhile, a budding Oliver Beadle reached a career milestone to finish runner-up, losing only to world No.1 Graham 6-1, 6-0.
Buoyed by his singles success, last year’s National yellow doubles division champion Beadle continued to impress across the Channel, joining forces with rising star Aidan Moody to win bronze in the II-1 Men’s doubles for the first time on an international stage.
Elsewhere, the women’s II-1 world No.1 McBride lived up to her pre-tournament billing, adding a further two gold medals to her already illustrious list of accolades.
The two-time Australian Open PwII singles and doubles champion treated spectators to the longest match of the Championships after battling home favourite Eva Blanc for two hours and twenty minutes in a gruelling match-up between the top seeds.
The Briton, who continues her reign at the top of the Virtus rankings, extended her winning streak against the French No.1, recovering from a set down to win 3-6, 7-5, (10-7).
Blanc’s redemption came in the II-1 women’s doubles, however, after partnering Elise Delvas to overcome McBride and compatriot Lily Mills 6-7, 7-5, (11-9) in their fight for a place in the final.
Despite narrowly missing out on the gold medal match, McBride and Mills proceeded to earn their place on the podium, eventually securing bronze thanks to their 4-2, 4-3 victory over Australian duo Carla Lenarduzzi and Breanna Tunny.
McBride and Mills would partner a second time in the II-1 women’s team event, where they won their second bronze of the Championships, while Iannotti and Higgins won gold in the men’s.
In the II-2 men’s event, Robbie Hampshaw secured a podium finish in a stellar maiden appearance for his country, winning bronze in the singles and doubles.
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