The Australian junior wheelchair team of Riley Dumsday, Saalim Naser and Benjamin Wenzel have won the 2022 BNP Paribas World Team Cup.
Vilamoura, Portugal, 9 May 2022 | tennis.com.au
Australia’s junior wheelchair stars Riley Dumsday (Mornington, Victoria), Saalim Naser (Roxburgh Park, Victoria) and Benjamin Wenzel (Cairns, Queensland) have won the 2022 BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Vilamoura, Portugal.
The Australian team secured the prestigious team title with a 2-1 victory against top seeds Great Britain in the final overnight.
Dumsday won the opening rubber 6-1 6-1 against world No.22 Joshua Johns, before world No.3 Dahnon Ward levelled the tie for Great Britain with a 6-1 6-3 victory against Naser in the second singles rubber.
Dumsday and Naser then combined to defeat Ward and Andrew Penney 6-1 6-4 in the deciding doubles rubber to clinch Australia’s second junior World Team Cup.
W🌏RLD CHAMPIONS 🏆
Our Aussies have been crowned the 2022 @BNPParibas World Team Cup champions after claiming a 2-1 victory over Great Britain 👏
Congratulations, team! 🇦🇺#GoAussies | @ITFTennis pic.twitter.com/4SLzAwhSxs
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) May 8, 2022
Sixteen-year-old Dumsday is proud of the team’s effort.
“It’s an amazing achievement and it still hasn’t properly sunk in yet,” said Dumsday, who was also a member of the title-winning Australian team in Israel in 2019.
“I think by the time we are on the long flight home and by the time we get home it will eventually sink in on what an amazing achievement it is.
“The week’s been a great week of tennis for all of us, on and off the court. We’ve all developed so much, which you would be able to tell in a week. Obviously, the highlight was definitely today, winning (the final), which was amazing.
“Tennis is a very individual sport and with the World Team Cup, it brings a whole team together and you can all work together. There is teamwork on and off the court, which is really good.”
Eighteen-year-old Naser added, “We put so much work in leading into the tournament. We had a good two weeks before the tournament, training every day. It was very tough, and it showed that we put the work in.”
Tennis Australia National Wheelchair Development Squad Coach Greg Crump was thrilled with the way the team carried themselves during the tournament.
“I’ve worked with the team for the last eight years or so – Saalim and Riley, they’re both in Melbourne. It was great to have a new guy, Ben Wenzel, from Cairns come out and make his debut. That was fantastic,” said Crump.
“But also the way they conducted themselves off the court, I was equally proud as a coach.
“Over the last two years, where we haven’t been able to travel has been challenging. To get everyone up and about to compete with a lot of Europeans that have pretty much been competing the last couple of years has been a fantastic effort by all.
“To have a rookie player, Ben Wenzel, has been a standout moment. There were three players bidding for that position. Over the last six months he stood out the most. He worked hard on his game. He played two matches this week and won both matches.”
> View all World Team Cup results here.
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