Glasspool, Boulter and Fery all lift titles on first week of the 2023 season
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It didn’t take our Brits long to get off the mark for the 2023 season as the titles are already piling in from the first week of the new year. Catch up on a couple of British clashes in finals Down Under, and a rising star making waves in the States.
Glasspool and Heliovaara clinch fourth ATP crown
Lloyd Glasspool and Finnish partner, Harri Heliovaara, continue to fight their way to the top of the ATP doubles rankings as they started the season by winning their third title in Adelaide.
Having held off a resurgent comeback from sixth seeds Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop in the quarter-finals, 6-3, 5-7, 10-6, Glasspool and Heliovaara wasted no time in blitzing past Mackenzie McDonald and Marcelo Melo 6-2, 6-3 to reach their first final of the year.
The British, Finnish duo made seven finals last year, taking home one trophy in Hamburg, but have already equalled their 2022 season tally in just one week. Their title-winning start to this year’s campaign ended against fellow Brit Jamie Murray and his new partner Michael Venus – with Glasspool and Heliovaara triumphing 6-3, 7-6(3) against the fourth seeds.
An unbeaten start to the new year, sees Glasspool retain his position at world No.12 as the third Brit ranking inside the top 15.
Aside from Glasspool and Murray, there were other strong British results in men’s doubles this week as Joe Salisbury, Henry Patten and Julian Cash all progressed to the semi-finals in Pune.
Boulter edges out Burrage in Canberra final
It was a week to remember for Katie Boulter, who came out on top in another battle of the Brits in the W60 Canberra final – lifting the seventh ITF title of her career.
Having made her way to the semi-finals without dropping a set, Boulter continued to dominate each of her matches, rattling off a 6-2, 6-2 win over world No.157 Hailey Baptiste, as her British counterpart, Jodie Burrage sealed her place in he final after Lesia Tsurenko was forced to withdraw.
Burrage took the opening set of the final – becoming the only player to win a set off Boulter in Canberra – but in the end, the 26-year-old proved too strong, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Both players will now head to Melbourne to compete in Australian Open qualifying.
Brits reach City Finals in inaugural United Cup
Moving over to Sydney now, where the Great Britain United Cup team bowed out in the City Finals after a 4-1 defeat to eventual champions USA.
Despite an impressive win from Cam Norrie over world No.9 Taylor Fritz, three-set losses from Dan Evans and Katie Swan ultimately proved the difference between the two sides.
The Brits reached the City Finals after finishing top of Group D having defeated Australia and Spain in their opening ties. Read more about the United Cup and the British results over on our event page.
Fery tastes silverware in Malibu
It was the perfect start to the season for 20-year-old Arthur Fery, who claimed a third ITF title last week at the M25 Malibu.
The Stanford student impressed as he wracked up five consecutive wins without dropping a set to make his way into the final.
Standing in his way of a first title of the year was 18-year-old American, Alex Michelsen, who put up a good fight against the Brit, but Fery had the extra spark of quality in the final set to come out the victor 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
