Players from China and the Netherlands shined in the first round of the Men's and Women's Singles Wheelchair Tennis on Monday.
The first round of the Men's Singles kicked off on center court, with France's Michael Jeremiasz facing Chile's Robinson Mendez. It was in an easy 6-1, 6-0 win for the French athlete, who won bronze at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.
"It's good. It's kind of an honor to be the first to play on this big court for the Paralympics," said Jeremiasz after his victory. "I was like, stressed in the beginning, because I really wanted to do good there and there were so many people, so many people even on the first day. That was really nice, and all my family came."
The game with the most spectators was the Women's Singles between Athens bronze medalist Daniela di Toro of Australia and World No.1 Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands who lived up to her reputation by winning her 345th straight match, 6-2, 6-0. Di Toro was the last person to beat Vergeer in a Singles competition, back in 2003, but she did not manage it this time.
Vergeer says she was nervous to begin with, but relaxed as the match progressed. Aiming for gold again, she says her biggest rivals are on her own team.
China's Dong Fuli was another one of today's success stories, winning her Women's Singles match against Japan's Mie Yaosa, 6-4, 6-4, to an ecstatic home crowd. Dong, who is competing in her second Paralympics, was part of China's first two-member team to attend a Paralympics in Athens in 2004. This time, China's Wheelchair Tennis team consists of four athletes.
In another Men's Singles match, World No.1 Shingo Kunieda of Japan won easily against his British opposition, Alex Jewitt, 6-1, 6-0. Kunieda attributes his court speed to his success. "It is my weapon, because I can push very fast. It's a key of my game."
He says he has felt the pressure to perform well because the Paralympics only come once every four years. "Everyone expects me to win the gold medal. I feel that, but I have to overcome that."
(BOCOG September 8, 2008)
