Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley ended their Tokyo 2020 Paralympics with a first women’s doubles silver medal for ParalympicsGB.
After winning bronze in London 2012 and Rio 2016, Shuker and Whiley took the eight-time Grand Slam-winning Dutch partnership to four deuces in the second game as they tried to answer an early break of serve. However, De Groot and Van Koot’s power proved difficult to handle.
Shuker and Whiley, the first Brits to earn a place in a Paralympic women’s doubles final, came out with added aggression in the second set, with Whiley serving out the opening game convincingly and the Brits took the second game to five deuces. However, De Groot and Van Koot opened up a 4-1 lead as they broke to love and soon sealed an eighth successive women’s doubles gold medal for the Netherlands.
Speaking after the match, Shuker said: “I think it’s almost the dream ending, We didn’t quite get the gold, but it’s better than what we’ve got in the past. Coming here, to get gold or silver was the target and we’ve achieved a silver, so you can’t be unhappy with that.”