ParalympicsGB's Jordanne Whiley aims for wheelchair tennis glory

Jordanne Whiley in action during a training session Credit: PA Wire

The London 2012 Paralympics Games is due to start next Wednesday August 29.

This year, 4,200 athletes from 174 countries are competing in twenty sports.

This week ITV News will be profiling some of the key sports to watch, today is wheelchair tennis.

Top British player Jordanne Whiley will be aiming for a medal in the women's competition.

Wheelchair tennis facts:

  • One of the first and fastest Paralympics sports to sell out ticket wise this year alongside rugby.

  • The team say they have a "team target of 2-4 medals, with one gold"

  • Tennis speed: The male No.1 wheelchair tennis player has a serve of more than 100 mph. In tennis, top speeds are around 150.

Jordanne Whiley facts:

  • She was born with brittle bone disease.

  • She is one of youngest ever wheelchair tennis players, she turned 20 in June.

  • She got to the quarter-finals in Beijing aged 16.

  • Was ranked world No.1 as a junior and now as an adult she is British No.2.

  • Jordanne and her doubles partner Lucy Shuker reached the final of Wimbledon this year.

Jordanne inherited brittle bone disease from her father, a 1984 Paralympian Bronze 100m sprint medallist.

After following him into sport at an early age, the 20-year-old is hoping to "beat" her dad's achievement.

Jordanne Whiley and her dad Keith shake hands after playing a game of wheelchair tennis Credit: ITV News

Jordanne's journey to the Paralympics, has not been without challenge. Recent injuries have hampered her training.

She says: "My pure love of the game got me through it

"If you've got a dream go out and get it....to become a gold medallist, it's such a great feeling."

Wheelchair tennis: the rules

The rules of wheelchair tennis are similar to Tennis but :

  • The ball is allowed to bounce twice, and only the first bounce must be within the boundaries of the court.

  • All matches are played over the best of three sets.

  • The wheelchair is considered part of the body and all rules, which apply to a player’s body, apply to the wheelchair.

Competition dates:

  • Saturday 1 September – Saturday 8 September

  • Venue: Olympic Park - Eton Manor

For full listings visit the Paralympics Games website.

Get involved:

  • Jordanne is part of the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme. For more information on tennis for disabled people, visit the charity's website.

  • Jordanne's Paralympic journey has also been supported by the disability sports charity,The Lord's Taverners, who have provided her and many other athletes with multi-sports wheelchairs to assist in their development. They also provide them to many other young people so they can take advantage of opportunities to engage in sport.

  • To find out how you can get involved in wheelchair tennis in the UK, go to thegamesandbeyond.com

  • For more information on the wheelchair tennis competition, visit the website of the International Tennis Federation, the governing body for the sport.