Wheelchair tennis tournament first of its kind in Manitoba

Lee Carter at the 2007 Birmingham National Wheelchair Tennis
Championships, on route to his first national championship.
 (Source: Tennis Canada)

This summer wheelchair tennis players from across Western Canada and beyond are expected to travel to Winnipeg to participate in the inaugural Prairie Cup Wheelchair Tennis Championships. The event is the first of its kind in Manitoba, and will be hosted August 9th - 11th at the Kildonan Tennis Club during the 2013 Manitoba Open Tennis Championships.

The Prairie Cup is a Tennis Manitoba initiative to help grow wheelchair tennis participation in the province. Over the winter, Tennis Manitoba partnered with the Manitoba Wheelchair Sports Association to host a drop-in wheelchair tennis program at Taylor Tennis in Winnipeg. A similar program takes place during the outdoor season at the Norwood Community Centre.

There are plans to incorporate wheelchair tennis events during some of the 2013 Tennis Manitoba Open Tour tournaments, with the first wheelchair categories being offered at tournaments to be held at the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club and Deer Lodge Tennis Club.

Manitoba has a strong history of wheelchair tennis, which has produced players and coaches who have participated at international events. Most notable of late is Winnipeg's Lee Carter, who is just the third Canadian male to win at least four consecutive national titles (singles and doubles, 2007 - 2010). Carter has also participated in World Team Cup competition, as well as the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

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