Mistry and Lapthorne take part in wheelchair tennis demonstration in Lithuania

09 March 2010

Great Britain's Jayant Mistry and Andrew Lapthorne took part in a wheelchair tennis demonstration with two of Lithuania's top wheelchair tennis players at the Vitas Gerulaitis Tennis Centre in Vilnius ahead of AEGON Team GB's Davis Cup tie against Lithuania.

It was the first time a wheelchair tennis demonstration had taken place between two Davis Cup nations, and kicked off the build-up to the Europe/Africa Zone Group II tie between the hosts and AEGON Team GB.

Mistry, Great Britain's most successful male wheelchair tennis player, was ranked consistently in the top 10 in the world between 2000 and his retirement in 2007, and competed for Great Britain in a record-breaking 20 Invacare World Team Cups.

Lapthorne, who competes alongside world No.1 Peter Norfolk in the quad wheelchair division, is currently ranked No.9 in the world and is a serious contender for the 2012 Paralympics.

Lithuania are relatively new to wheelchair tennis, having only started to compete in 2009, and are aiming to compete at London 2012. The demonstration match was an opportunity for them to see how their players, Aleksandras Olechnovic and Janas Vysockij, measured up against the experience of the British duo.

"On behalf of the ITF and Great Britain, thank you for having us here," said Mistry. "Wheelchair tennis has been going for roughly 30 years, is fully integrated into all four Grand Slams, and the ITF are aiming to develop wheelchair tennis in new countries exactly like this one to build a family of wheelchair tennis."

Find out more about wheelchair tennis.

Read more about the Davis Cup.