Paralympics round-up: British pair battle to bronze

 

Ed Henry
Friday 07 September 2012 21:59 EDT
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Jordanne Whiley and Lucy Shuker spent over three hours on court
Jordanne Whiley and Lucy Shuker spent over three hours on court (PA)

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Great Britain's Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley came from a set down to claim a bronze medal in the women's doubles wheelchair tennis with a marathon 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 win over Sakhorn Khanthasit and Ratana Techamaneewat.

The Thai pair had already dumped out the fourth seeds earlier in the draw, and they looked like taking care of the third seeds as well when they claimed the first set on a tie-break.

Shuker and Whiley clawed it back, though, edging a marathon second set which lasted 77 minutes.

The British pair then managed the decisive break to go 5-3 up in the third, and Shuker sealed victory – and the bronze medal – with an ace after three hours and nine minutes. The medal was Britain's second in wheelchair tennis at London 2012 following Peter Norfolk and Andy Lapthorne's silver in the quad doubles.

The women's wheelchair basketball team beat Mexico 59-37 to finish seventh in the women's wheelchair basketball competition at North Greenwich Arena, but came off the court still thinking about what might have been.

Britain came from 19-18 behind at half-time in an impressive performance but their best showing of the Games came too late for them to meet their targets. "We just went out there and did the job, but we don't feel that ecstatic," said co-captain Clare Strange, who was competing in her fourth Paralympics.

"We've finished seventh – the best I've ever finished at a Paralympic Games – but we didn't deliver in this tournament and that's a shame."

This was only their second win in seven games and the feeling was of a missed opportunity after a Games plagued by nerves, translating into tense performances and poor shooting.

"If we'd have lost today I would have been devastated," said veteran Caroline Maclean, who admitted she did not yet know if she would retire. "It's nice to end on a win, but it's not what we came for."

Britain men's seven-a-side football players were pipped 4-3 by Argentina in their fifth-to-eighth classification semi-final at the Riverbank Arena. Britain led 2-0 but were beaten in a thrilling game despite goals by Ibz Diallo, captain Matt Dimbylow and Alistair Patrick-Heselton.

Boccia player Nigel Murray, meanwhile, lost his fifth-eighth classification semi-final against China's Yeung Hiu Lam at the ExCeL Centre.

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