New Rounds, New Opportunities for Ladies in the Wheelchair Tournament

Yesterday, she reached a milestone: 20-year-old player Lizzy de Greef booked her first career victory in singles at the ABN AMRO Open Ladies' Wheelchair tournament. With her victory over Chilean Macarena Cabrillana (6-3, 6-3), De Greef qualified for the semi-finals. And she is not the only Dutch player to have brilliantly done so.

Lizzy de Greef is young and promising. The former junior world champion had lost in the first round in her two previous participations in Ahoy, but yesterday she broke the spell. "I am satisfied with my level," said De Greef after receiving warm congratulations from her fan club and family.

For De Greef and the other ladies in the wheelchair tournament, this edition in Ahoy is taking some getting used to because the injured, multiple-time winner, Diede de Groot, is not there. New rounds, new opportunities: "It's different now, yes," De Greef also thinks. "Normally, Diede wins almost everything. Now everyone is imagining what is suddenly within reach."

She doesn't know yet what's in store for her this year. What the resident of Alphen aan den Rijn does know, however, is that she has fought exciting duels against her next opponent, Colombian Angélica Bernal, before: "It's always very close."

If De Greef reaches the final, she will at least meet a compatriot. Both Jiske Griffioen and Jinte Bos qualified for the semi-finals, thus ensuring that a Dutch woman will be in the final no matter what. Three Dutch players in the semi-finals is proof to De Greef that the Dutch team is doing well. "We have many strong women who often train together; I train three days a week at the NTC in Amstelveen. That's how we push each other up.''

In the meantime, De Greef is thoroughly enjoying her stay in Ahoy and the surrounding area. "We also call this tournament a mini-Grand Slam. Everything is so well organised here, which is not something you can take for granted in our sport. We are staying in a beautiful hotel, the food is very good, and all the other facilities are top-notch: it’s a wonderful life.'