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Team USA at the Opening Ceremonies © Jeremiah Yolkut |
By Jeremiah Yolkut, USTA
ANTLAYA, Turkey -- The 26th edition of the Invacare World Team Cup (IWTC) kicked off in Antlaya, Turkey, on Sunday afternoon. From Turkish belly dancing to Turkish line dancing, the host country put on a spectacular show.
With over 30 countries and close to 300 athletes participating, the annual wheelchair tennis equivalent of the Davis Cup boasts the largest draws and most intriguing storylines of any wheelchair tennis tournament. Here are a few of the more intriguing questions at this year’s event:
- Can the U.S. quad team bounce back after two straight IWTC finals loses?
- Will the young U.S. women take another step in the right direction as they look to grow from their fifth-place finish in 2009?
- How will U.S. juniors fair without injured team veteran Dylan Levine?
- Can the U.S. men climb out of World Group 2 with Jon Rydberg returning after a one-year hiatus?
- Will not having Esther Vergeer hurt the Dutch women’s chances of wining an 11th straight IWTC women’s title?
All of these great storylines will be played out over the next six days on the banks of the Mediterranean. Stay tuned for updates to these questions and more as the 2010 Invacare World Team Cup kicks off!
Monday’s Matchups-Team USA:
Quad Team
USA vs. South Africa at 2 a.m. EDT
Women’s Team
USA vs. South Africa, not before 7 a.m. EDT
Junior Team
USA vs. Great Britain, not before 7 a.m. EDT