Eastbourne
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ROTHESAY INTERNATIONAL EASTBOURNE<br />
GRASS<br />
COURT<br />
READY<br />
When Greg Slade pushes out on to the courts<br />
at the Rothesay International <strong>Eastbourne</strong>, it<br />
will be a special occasion for the 21-year-old<br />
for several reasons.<br />
“This will be my first grass court event and so<br />
obviously I’m looking forward to having that<br />
different challenge,” says British No.2 Slade<br />
ahead of quad wheelchair tennis making its<br />
debut in <strong>Eastbourne</strong>.<br />
“Having the WTA event alongside our<br />
wheelchair event will also be great because<br />
it brings such great exposure for wheelchair<br />
tennis and the quality of the tournament<br />
will be up there with the best. I’m expecting<br />
big things.”<br />
Slade had his first proper training session<br />
on grass at the National Tennis Centre just<br />
a fortnight ago, but he’s also drawn on the<br />
experience of his peers after men’s, women’s<br />
and quad wheelchair events were all part of the<br />
LTA’s roster of premier summer grass court<br />
tournament for the first time in 2022.<br />
“I’ve picked the brains of the likes of Ruby<br />
Bishop, Abbie Breakwell, Lucy Shuker and<br />
Andy Lapthorne, they all played in these events<br />
a year ago,” he adds. “Although last year Andy<br />
was in Birmingham (at the Rothesay Classic),<br />
I got some really useful insight into what is<br />
different, the tactics, that sort of thing. So I’m<br />
not coming into it blind.”<br />
56<br />
Devonshire Park, <strong>Eastbourne</strong> | 24 June - 01 July 2023
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