David Wagner, Lucy Shuker and Gordon Reid completed their preparations for the Japan Open Super Series by securing victories in the men’s, women’s and quad singles at the 2018 Korea Open, part of the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, in Seoul.

Wagner and Shuker both ended the ITF 1 Series event with singles and doubles titles, with world No.1 Wagner storming through to the quad singles final for the loss of just two games. After two 60 60 victories Wagner also dominated his semifinal against fourth seed Mitsuteru Moroishi of Japan 61 61.

The bottom half of the quad draw brought the latest chapter in a rivalry that may yet be only four matches old, but which suggests it’s one to watch out for in the future.

After attaining a new career best world ranking of No. 8 at the start of the week Koji Sugeno dominated his quarterfinal against world No. 5 Lucas Sithole to beat the South African third seed 63 60 in their first ever meeting. But then Japan’s Sugeno went on to level his head-to-head record against world No. 4 Heath Davidson at two wins apiece after defeating the Australian 62 63. Sugeno and Davidson leave Seoul with honours even in their meetings in Korea, Republic after Davidson won April’s Daegu Open final 63 60.

However, with the finals moved indoors due to heavy rain, Sugeno was outplayed by top seed Wagner as USA’s 2017 ITF World Champion claimed his second ITF 1 quad singles title of 2018 60 63.

While Wagner was dominant in singles competition, his doubles challenge with Davidson almost came undone in the semifinals, but the top seeds clung on in a deciding match tiebreak to beat Greg Hasterok and Sugeno 75 46 (15-13). The final could hardly have been more different. With Japan’s Shota Kawano and Mitsuteru Moroishi having beaten second seed Antony Cotterill and Sithole in the semifinals, Davidson and Wagner wasted little time overcoming the Japanese duo 62 60.

Shuker secures women’s singles and doubles titles

World No. 8 Shuker clinched her second Korea Open women’s singles title in four years after fending off a stiff challenge from her doubles partner Giulia Capocci of Italy some 24 hours after they had claimed victory together in the women’s doubles.

All four seeded players advanced to the singles semifinals, but in maintaining the hopes of the host nation fourth seed Ju-Youn Park dropped a set to Japan’s Kanako Domori in their quarterfinal. However, Domori’s hopes of making it two Japanese players in the semifinals ultimately faded as Park dominated the final set to advance 62 26 61.

As it was it was left to third seed Manami Tanaka to carry Japanese hopes in the last four. But although Tanaka took more games off Shuker than in their previous four meetings, Shuker booked her place in the final 63 64. Meanwhile, the hopes of the host nation also faded in the semifinals, with Capocci defeating Park 64 60.

Shuker went into the final having lost her only previous meeting with Capocci at Bolton Indoor in February, but the Briton moves on to the Japan Open level with the Italian in career head-to-heads after winning their latest contest 62 36 63.

The women’s doubles also went according to the seeding, top seeds Capocci and Shuker dropping just one game in the semifinals and beating Park and Tanaka 62 76(3) in the final as Shuker claimed her third Korea Open women’s doubles crown since 2012 and Capocci secured her third doubles title of 2018.

Reid seals first singles title of 2018

Top seed Reid secured a timely first men’s singles title of 2018 as he prepares to defend his Japan open title.

Sang-Ho Oh and Ho Win Im took the home country challenge into the quarterfinals, with Oh lining up as the only unseeded player to reach the men’s last eight after beating compatriot, fifth seed and four-time Paralympian Ha-Gel Lee 62 62.

Seventh seed Im bowed out to second seed Takashi Sanada 60 60, while Oh’s campaign was brought to an end by fourth seed Ben Weekes as the Australian advanced 62 64 to set up a semifinal against World No. 5 Reid. Sanada subsequently completed a comfortable run to the final for the loss of just three games in three matches and Reid won the important points to see off Weekes 64 64.

Having opened his challenge with a 60 60 win over Korean Myung-Ho Bae, Reid saved his best performance for the final and powered past world No. 8 Sanada 60 60 to go one better than he did on his first visit to the Korea Open in 2012.

With Reid sitting out the men’s doubles Sanada and Weekes both gained some compensation for their singles losses to the Briton, joining forces to race through the men’s doubles final against the all-Japanese second-seeded pairing of Saida and Kouhei Suzuki 60 60.