Norfolk Wins Wheelchair Masters

Peter Norfolk has finished the season as world number one quad singles player after taking the end-of-year Wheelchair Masters title in Amsterdam.

The Briton beat American David Wagner 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in the final for this third Masters title since 2006.

It is the sixth time in eight years he has ended a year top of the rankings.

Meanwhile, Dutch wheelchair tennis star Esther Vergeer took her remarkable run to 400 consecutive victories as she advanced to the final.

Vergeer, who is unbeaten at the event since her debut in 1998, brought up the landmark by beating compatriot Jiske Griffioen 6-3 6-0, a win that extended her record to 609 wins against 25 losses.

606: DEBATE Have your say on Norfolk and Vergeer’s achievements

Speaking on her feed on social media site Twitter, the 29-year-old said: “I won my semi final, that means 400 wins in a row now. Unbelievable! Tomorrow the final against Daniela Di Toro.”

While Vergeer will go into the final as an overwhelming favourite to land a 103rd consecutive title, Norfolk can reflect on another successful week in which he beat the two men directly below him in the rankings – Wagner and Sweden’s Johan Andersson.

Tennis Foundation National Programme coach Stuart Wilkinson said of the 49-year-old: “Peter stayed mentally tough all week. It was a great effort and much deserved.”

Elsewhere Kevin Simpson retained his men’s singles title at the Beit Halochem tournament in Israel, giving the Scot his third ITF Futures titles since September.

After a first round bye, top seed Simpson won all three of his matches against Israeli opposition in straight sets, clinching the title with a narrow 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 victory over second seed Asaaf Stokol to maintain his ranking on the fringes of the world’s top 40.

Simpson is now set to end his season on the 2010 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour at next month’s Prague Cup Czech Indoor.