Under the watchful eye of star players Aniek van Koot and Niels Vink, the draw for the 2024 NEC Singles & UNIQLO Doubles Wheelchair Tennis Masters took place Friday afternoon. Around 2 p.m. at the House of the Province in Arnhem, the names were put into the tubes. This immediately produced spectacle, with several Dutch underdogs. For example, Gelderland-born Aniek van Koot played in the singles against her doubles partner Jiske Griffioen.
After impressive speeches by Mariette Verbruggen (KNLTB) and Ellen de Lange (ITF), looking back at the wonderful sports summer with the Paralympic Games in Paris, it was time for the draw. Led by Helga Witjes, deputy with the province of Gelderland, and Bob Roelofs, alderman for Sport of the municipality of Arnhem, the balls were opened one by one.
View the group format for the Wheelchair Tennis Masters here
Quads Single:
Group A: Sam Schroeder (1), Ahmet Kaplan (4), Andy Lapthorne (6), Robert Shaw (7).
Group B: Guy Sasson (2), Niels Vink (3), Donald Ramphadi (5), David Wagner (10).
Quads Doubles:
Group A: Sam Schroeder (3) / Niels Vink (1), Guy Sasson (4) / David Wagner (5), Andy Lapthorne (2) / Donald Ramphadi (8), Ahmet Kaplan (16) / Gregory Slade (11).
Women's Singles:
Group A: Yui Kamiji (2), Ziying Wang (4), Angelica Bernal (6), Zhenzhen Zhu (9).
Group B: Aniek van Koot (3), Jiske Griffioen (5), Dana Mathewson (7), Kgothatso Montjana (8).
Women's Doubles:
Group A: Yui Kamiji (2) / Kgothatso Montjane (3), Dana Mathewson (9) / Manami Tanaka (5), Wendi Schutte (33) / Britta Wend (35).
Group B: Jiske Griffioen (8) / Aniek van Koot (4), Ziying Wang (10) / Zhenzhen Zhu (7), Jinte Bos (25) / Lizzy de Greef (20).
Men's Singles:
Group A: Tokito Oda (1), Gustavo Fernandez (4), Gordon Reid (5), Stephane Houdet (8)
Group B: Alfie Hewett (2), Martin de la Puente (3), Tom Egberink (6), Joachim Gerard (7)
Men's Doubles:
Group A: Alfie Hewett (2) / Grodon Reid (1), Martin de la Puente (9) / Joachim Gerard (8), Ruben Spaargaren (14) / Maarten ter Hofte (16), Anthony Dittmar (47) / Christoph Wilke (46).
Group B: Tom Egberink (6) / Maikel Scheffers (7), Daniel Caverzaschi (10) / Stephane Houdet (5), Robin Groenewoud (25) / Andrew Penney (41), Luca Arca (109) / Silviu Culea (150).
Comments from Aniek van Koot and Niels Vink after the draw
Niels Vink had déjà vu when he saw his pool during the draw. “I have exactly the same pool as during the Wheelchair Tennis Masters in 2023, only David Wagner is new in my pool.” Niels Vink doesn't mind: “If you want to win, you have to be able to win from everyone.”
Van Koot feels that, in her opinion, you can never really speak of a good draw. “It is a World Cup and you play against the best eight in the world. So you have to play anyway,” says the wheelchair tennis star immediately after the draw. During the women's singles, she will take on compatriot Jiske Griffioen, Dana Mathewson and Kgothatso Montjane. “I will play my first match against Mathewson, so that will be a tough match right away,” Griffioen said.
'Home games'
Niels Vink, born in Helmond, played two years ago in Oss during the Wheelchair Tennis Masters in his native Brabant. But in Arnhem, at Sportpark Molenbeke, he feels perhaps even more at home. “You would say that two years ago in Oss it felt like a home game, but I have been training in Zevenaar for six years and every summer at sportpark Molenbeke. So this is also very special.” For Van Koot, it's great to play so close to home. “It's not a far drive for people, so the step to come and watch is a lot smaller. And Niels will probably bring his Orange Army again,” jokes the Winterswijk native. By this she is referring to a full stand in Paris with family and friends of Niels Vink.