TENNIS: MARK Eccleston - from the Wirral Tennis and Sports Centre - secured the perfect antidote to a difficult year by claiming the Quad Main Draw Singles title at the Nottingham Indoor Wheelchair Tennis Tournament, a part of the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
Eccleston overcame fellow Briton Roy Humphreys 7-5, 6-0 in his opening match before securing one of his best results of the year to defeat World No 4 Sarah Hunter of Canada 6-1, 6-0.
An Anglo-American final pitched Eccleston against Rick Draney of the United States and the Briton again continued a welcome return to form to win 6-4, 6-1.
The Merseyside player, voted Disabled Sportsperson of the Year in the BBC North West Sports Awards for 2002, began 2003 as he had finished last season - as the World No 1 ranked Quad player.
However, injuries have contributed towards a string of disappointing results during 2003 that have seen his ranking fall.
Eccleston's Nottingham Indoor title leaves him just short of the world's top 10, a situation he aims to change in his final tournament of the year, the Prague Cup Czech Indoors this month.
Eccleston is one of several word-ranked players who train at Wirral centre in Bidston and Eccleston's victory was the first half of a marvellous double.
Jamie Burdekin triumphed in the Quad Second Draw Singles with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Davy Carrette of Belgium in the semifinals.
In the final he won 6-4, 6-0 against Simone Blaauw of the Netherlands.
