De Groot: I have a pretty big target on my back

At least two dozen entrants from the Australian Open Wheelchair Championship turned out on the sprawling Kia Arena on Sunday morning to mark the draw in the singles and quads events.

It was hot and sunny and sparkling, a few hundred fans in the stands already and Australia at its best. Picture postcard stuff.

An hour later play was delayed on all outside courts as rain, and no little wind, descended upon a suddenly dark Melbourne Park.

But for the wheelchair ceremony, the setting was nothing less than sumptuous with the all-conquering Diede De Groot - last year’s women’s singles grand slam victor and the holder of an astonishing 20 singles and 17 doubles majors - as unassuming as ever as she addressed the media throng.

“I have already been tested this month,“ she said referring to the 28-player Melbourne Open she won last week. “I have a pretty big target on my back and I am hoping I can play my best tennis here.”

The champion’s first round opponent is Britain’s Lucy Shuker, the 12th-ranked player and a 43-year-old veteran.

“It’s very exciting, I know her very well,” said De Groot.

Shuker, understandably, may not be looking forward to the clash quite as much. She has beaten the Dutch player a commendable four times but has also lost on 16 occasions. More tellingly, Shuker’s last win came in March 2016 in the Cajun Classic in America.

There are four seeds in the 16 player women’s singles draw with the No. 2 player, Japan’s Yui Kamiji - who saw off Shuker 6-0, 6-0, in the first round of last year’s AO - set to play Lizzy De Greef from the Netherlands first. They have never met and 19-year-old De Greef will be severely tested against the highly experienced Japanese.

Sam Schroder, the defending quad’s champion, yet another Dutch player who is fluent and engaging in English, is looking forward to getting started.

“It’s great to be back in Australia, I feel very at home here. It’s amazing to play on these great arenas,” he said.

Schroder, the second seed, faces Ymanitu Silva from Brazil in round one.

Defending men’s singles champion Alfie Hewett has already been in Australia for two weeks. Preparation is key he said, particularly in the heat.

“It’s something we have to get used to over our careers. Being from the UK the hot weather doesn’t come around that often,” he said.

“We are accustomed to it now, it’s why we get out here so early to train in it as much as possible. It’s something you have to manage with your coping strategies, ice towels and hydration etc.”

Expanding the singles draw to 16 players two years ago has proved a great stepping stone for wheelchair tennis, he said.

"It was an eight player draw previous to that so that’s gong to help the exposure of our sport and give more players the chance to have that experience.”

And a 32-player draw perhaps in the future?

“That has to be a goal, the depth has to be there though. It can certainly expand, it takes time those things, players are getting better, there’s more money invested in it and it can only escalate from there. We will see where it is in five years time but right now 16 is where is should be with all categories.”

Back to this week only and a surface (cushion acrylic hard courts) that Hewett loves.

“My movement is one of my strengths and this allows me to be able to turn defence into attack and vice versa. I can push smoothly around the courts. 

“With grass and clay, my shoulders don’t appreciate the work that they have to go through those couple of weeks. These courts lead to a better showcase of ours sport with more rallies.”

While singles has been wonderful to Hewett - a staggering 58 titles in all tournaments - it is doubles, and his partnership with Gordon Reid that occupies a good part of his heart.

“The doubles is the best spectacle in wheelchair tennis. There’s a lot more rallies, a lot more going on and there’s something quite majestic about the movement if you watch it. There’s a lot of players coming in and out and you have to make use of all areas of the court and not just camp at the net.”

The Australian Open Wheelchair Championships starts on Tuesday 22 January.