Who will rule the Tennis court at GG2023?

By Akhila Chungath and Mousumi Mazumdar for Virtus

The 2023 Virtus Global Games will see an impressive turnout of athletes from across the globe, showcasing their talent. The success of the previous Virtus Global Games tennis tournaments demonstrates not only the dedication of the athletes who participated but also the value of international sporting events in fostering the spirit of the sporting community. The 2023 Virtus Global Games Tennis tournaments will be backed by the International Tennis Federation for the second time in a row after their endorsement at GG2019.

In II1 Men’s Singles, let’s delve into the captivating rivalry between three top players: Australia’s Archie Graham, and Great Britain’s Fabrice Higgins and Dominic Iannotti. These three powerhouses have showcased their exceptional skills by securing victories over each other in various tournaments, captivating audiences worldwide. With the stakes high at GG2023 competing for the title of the surely put on another great show. Another player to watch out for will be Ondrej Sedlisky from the Czech Republic, who gave a tough competition to Archie at the 2022 World Championship and missed the gold by just a few points.

Among the II1 female players, a massive showdown is predicted between Anna Mcbride (GBR), Kelly Wren (AUS), and Hanne Lavreysen (BEL). At the age of 14, Anna McBride from Great Britain made a remarkable feat at the 2018 European Summer Games, winning the championship title and successfully defending her title at the 2019 Global Games. Hanne swooped up from second place at GG2019 to the top place at the 2022 World Championship and is not someone to be underestimated this season. Kelly missed the Gold by just few points at Krakow 2022 and will be looking for a redemption this time.

“I have recently lost weight and I now feel more energetic and can move as fast as a leopard over the court! I am training hard for the GG2023, I am continuing to train on the court to keep my level stable and off the court I am working on my endurance. I am looking forward to playing against my friends from all over the world”, Hanne told Virtus.

In Doubles, the Australian Mens Doubles team is looking forward to taking their third Global Games title but it will not be as easy as it looks. British duos Fabrice Higgins and Dominic Iannotti have been the toughest competitors for the Aussies who are returning to the Games with a determination to win the top spot. Likewise, Australian women dominated the II1 Womens Doubles in GG2019, but the dynamic doubles, Natalia Babinska & Dorota Kostka from Poland stole the spotlight at the 2022 World Championship, cementing their place as one of the top pairs in the sport last summer and only time will decide who gets their hand on this edition’s trophy.

Timothy Gould (AUS) has been dominating the II2 class since 2019 and is looking forward to having another successful event at Vichy.

With the II3 class getting introduced as a full competition event at Vichy, spectators will be rooting a little extra to welcome the first winners from this class.

It will be a thrilling spectacle as the world’s best players come together to showcase their skills with resilience and determination, and a battle for glory in the upcoming Virtus Global Games at Sporting Vichy-Bellerive Tennis.

Tennis Schedule: https://gg2023.org/en/sports/tennis-en/

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