February 6, 2012 (Vancouver) – Canada’s top wheelchair tennis player, Joel Dembe (Toronto), got his season off to a perfect start last weekend by winning the Guadalajara Open, an ITF Futures Series event.
After an intense off-season preparation program in Toronto and Vancouver, Dembe breezed through the competition without dropping a set for a final match-up against top seed Robinson Mendez of Chile. But even the world No. 28 from Santiago did not offer up much resistance to Dembe’s aggressive attacking game and conceded by a score line of 6-3, 6-2.
“I am extremely happy with my performance this week,” Dembe said. “AlthoughI am still struggling with my serve, which I have made some changes to over the winter, I am delighted to see my overall game has improved considerably. This is a big win for me. It gives me the confidence boost I was hoping for going into this crucial Paralympic qualification period.”
The win should boost Dembe’s world ranking well into the 40s, which would keep him on track for Paralympic qualification.
Dembe rounded off his perfect stint in Mexico with a doubles win alongside American Paul Moran against the Chilean duo of Diego Perez and Francisco Cayuleef by a score of 6-1, 6-2.
Next stop on the tour for Dembe is the USTA Desert Classic in Tucson, Arizona from February 10-12, at which Philippe Bedard (Montreal) will make his season debut. |