Brits crowned champions at first LTA Padel British Tour event of the season in Harrogate
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This weekend saw British players win across the board at the first event of the 2023 LTA Padel British Tour at Surge Padel in Harrogate, Yorkshire.
There was British success across the men’s and women’s competitions with Louie Harris and Sam Jones lifting the title in the men’s, and Aimee Gibson and Tia Norton succeeding in the women’s.
The men’s final saw British No.3 Harris and No.4 Jones face the third seeds Alfonso Patacho and Chris Salisbury. Harris and Jones continued a recent impressive run winning 6-2, 6-7(0), 6-3 to claim the title. Reflecting on his win Jones said: “So nice to play at home in the UK at the Grade 1 HOP tournament at Surge Padel. After winning five tough matches we eventually won the tournament. Great start to the year. Thanks to my partner Louis Harris for playing this tournament with me.”
On the women’s side, British No.1 Norton partnered Gibson, to impressively defeat top seeds Lisa Phillips and Abigail Tordoff 6-1, 6-3 in the semi-finals before overcoming third seeds Catherine Rose and Lila Simpson 7-6(4), 6-4. The win, which followed the new pairing's success at Rocks Lane the week before, came in what was the largest women's draw (18 pairings) for a professional padel event in the UK.
LTA Padel Performance Manager Matt Stanforth said: “It was great to have the first Grade 1 event of the year take place in Harrogate with a very strong entry across both the men’s and women’s categories, with the majority of Britain’s leading Padel players taking part. It was particularly encouraging to see an increase in competitors in the women’s open event, with 18 pairs taking part.
"Congratulations to Sam Jones and Louis Harris who took the men’s open title, and Tia Norton and Aimee Gibson who took the women’s title. We now look forward to the next Grade 1 event on the calendar taking at We are Padel, Derby on 12-14 March.”
The competition at Surge Padel was the first of seven Grade 1 events to take place across England, Scotland and the Channel Islands as part of the British Tour which encompasses the top padel competitions in the UK. Grade 1 events see the very best British players and international competitors competing in standout events, across full weekends, for prize money. Acceptance onto British Tour events is based on players' LTA Padel Ranking.
