Visually Impaired Tennis National Finals 2024: debutants Mcclay & Keane among 11 crowned in Nottingham
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The 2024 Visually Impaired Tennis National Finals saw 45 players compete between 15-17 November at Nottingham Trent University, crowning 11 eventual champions across all disciplines.
The National Finals is the culmination of a domestic calendar of LTA regional events for players who have various degrees of sight loss, ranging from B1-5.
The format of visually impaired (VI) tennis varies based on the set sight categories that the players compete within. Depending on a player’s category they may have up to three bounces of the ball before they return it back to their opponent.
In the B1 category, for those having the greatest degree of sight loss or no sight, three bounces of the ball are allowed, and players typically wear eye masks. B2, B3, B4 and B5 categories are contested by players with different degrees of partial sight, with B2 players allowed three bounces, B3 players allowed two bounces and B4 and B5 players allowed one bounce of the ball.
Vincent Keane (B2) and Lucas Mcclay (B3) became first-time singles champions on debut, outperforming their more experienced competitors to lift their respective titles.
Keane struck gold after sealing all three of his round robin ties in the B2 men’s singles category, defeating David Deas, Philip Hancock and Guy Keating, to round off his maiden appearance at the National Finals.
The Ireland-born talent also became the first to lift the Currie Cup – an award named in honour of former B2 world champion Jim Currie – after becoming the most successful B2 player at regional level across the season.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Mcclay dropped only one game throughout his entire singles campaign to lift the title, conceding only to runner-up, Jack Fisher, in the B3 men’s singles final.
His success only continued in the doubles after teaming up with Ewan Hayward to win gold in the B2-5 category following their narrow 4-2, 2-4, (10-4) victory over Neil Balmforth and Ivan Rodriguez-Deb.
However, Rodriguez-Deb didn’t leave empty handed after outfoxing Hayward, who he partnered to win bronze at the IBTA Blind Tennis World Championships, in the B4/5 men’s singles final. His win in Nottingham extended his winning streak as he remains undefeated in five National Finals since 2019.
In the women’s, Louise Evans and Sarah Fortescue joined forces to win gold before Evans struck again in the B3 singles event, topping the table after securing all three rubbers while Fortescue finished in third.
Lydia Wrightson (B4/5) maintained a clean sheet to record three wins from three to defend her title, while Helen Potter retained her crown in the B3 women’s singles.
It was business as usual for the B1 men’s world No.1 Naqi Rizvi, who won four from four to lift his fourth consecutive National trophy, while Yvette Priestley topped the podium in the B1 women’s draw after defeating Bianka Graeming 6-3.
Priestley also delivered in the B1 doubles alongside partner Gavin Griffiths, unseating reigning champions Rizvi and Monica Smith, who would eventually finish in third.
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