Team UK win Invictus Games gold
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The UK team of Alex Krol and Andy McErlean have won gold at the Invictus Games in Orlando, defeating New Zealand 6-1 in the final.
Krol and McErlean made a great start racing to a 3-0 lead before the New Zealand pairing of Glen Barnes and David Sherriff staged a mini-comeback. However the British pair maintained their composure, taking the next three games to claim the gold.
After being presented their medals by Prince Harry, Krol said: "It’s an amazing feeling. I’ve never won anything in my life, and we talked about it before how winning something [at the Games] would be amazing and it is!"
The Tennis Foundation is proud to have supported the UK wheelchair tennis Invictus Games team for the 2016 Invictus Games.
The Tennis Foundation has worked with Help for Heroes to send the wheelchair tennis team to Orlando including organising and running the selection and training camps with experienced Tennis Foundation coaches, including former player Kevin Simpson who travelled to Orlando with the players.
As well as organising and running camps at the National Tennis Centre and Bisham Abbey National Sport Centre, the Tennis Foundation has supported some of the players with equipment and all players’ expert advice including exercise programmes from our World Class Performance Programme Strength and Conditioning coach.
A number of team had played little, or no, wheelchair tennis before trying out the sport at the selection camps earlier this year and competed in multiple sports at the games. The Tennis Foundation will continue to work with Help for Heroes and the military to support the players’ rehab and development and also their participation in the sport, with the potential of talent ID for future performance programme players.
Cain Berry, Performance Support Manager at the Tennis Foundation, who has been in Orlando to support the team said: “For Alex and Andy to win gold is fantastic. Everyone is buzzing, the guys saved their best tennis for the final and it was a really high quality match, a great advert for wheelchair tennis. The whole experience this week has been incredible and one I'll never forget."
Watch highlights of the wheelchair tennis from the Invictus Games here.
