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Defending champions line up for 2015 National Deaf Tennis Championships

Organised by the Tennis Foundation, the National Deaf Tennis Championships will take place in Hertfordshire from Satruday 2 May to Monday 4 May. 

The Championships are a domestic highlight of the deaf tennis season and offer experienced and up-and-coming players the chance to compete side-by-side.

This weekend's tournament also gives the country's elite players the chance to make their case for selection for the first World Deaf Tennis Championships which take place in Nottingham in July.

Players will compete for honours in men's and women's singles and doubles, mixed doubles and junior championship events. While a coaching clinic and a fun tournament on Saturday, will ensure that there are plenty of opportunities for players of all abilities and encourage more deaf people to take up tennis.

Defending champion Peter Willcox will bid for a 13th men's singles title, but is bound to face strong opposition from Wiltshire's Lewis Fletcher, who beat him in 2012.

Jack Clifton, who won silver in the junior boys' singles at the 2012 European Championships before joining Fletcher and Willcox in Britain's squad for the 2013 Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria will take part alongside his younger brother Toby and Esah Hayat. Watford's Nicholas Ansell, another of Great Britain's 2013 Deaflympians, takes local Hertfordshire hopes into the men's singles and doubles events.

Oxfordshire's Beth Simmons will be favourite to retain the women's singles title she won last year, for the second time since 2005. Simmons gained a clean sweep of singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles titles in 2014, partnering Willcox to win the mixed doubles. Valerie Copenhagen, one of the runner-up partnership in the women's doubles in 2014, will be among Simmons's main opposition this year.

Catherine Fletcher, Great Britain Deaf Tennis Coach and seven-times National Champion said:

'This is a historic year for deaf tennis in Great Britain and this year's National Championships is set to be another highly competitive and exciting tournament as we look towards the World Championships.
'We have a wealth of seasoned international medallists taking part and an exciting generation of young players coming through. Spectators can expect a high level of tennis and we hope some will be inspired to come to the World Championships in July.'


Entry to the National Deaf Tennis Championships is free to all spectators and play is scheduled to begin at 10am on Saturday 2 May.

UK Deaf Sport is the National Disability Sports Organisation for deaf and hard of hearing people. They provide advice and support to enable more deaf prople to participate and reach their full potential in sport. For more information visit the UK Deaf Sport website.