Reid receives support of Davis Cup winners on opening day of NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters

Britain's Davis Cup winners offered their support to the home favourites ©Twitter

Gordon Reid received the support of Britain’s Davis Cup winning tennis team as he began his NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters campaign with a straight sets win over France's Stéphane Houdet at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London.

Reid was hoping to impress in front of a home crowd on his second appearance at the event for the top eight players in the world and he had the support the two-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray, fresh from helping Britain to beat Belgium in the Davis Cup final, their first triumph since 1936.

With the added support, Reid produced a superb display to upset the second seed Stephane Houdet of France 6-3, 6-4 in their first Group B match of the men's singles competition.

His victory saw him sit at the top of early standings alongside France’s Nicolas Peifer, who overcame The Netherland’s Maikel Scheffers 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

Meanwhile in Group A, Japan’s Shingo Kunieda began his pursuit of a fourth NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters title in impressive style, overcoming Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez in straight sets.

Kunieda, the top ranked men’s wheelchair singles player, enjoyed an ideal start to his first Group A match of the season-ending tournament by winning the opening set 6-3.

Despite the best efforts of the sixth seed Fernandez, Kunieda secured an early break of serve in the second set and continued to dominate the contest, sealing a 6-3, 6-3 victory.

His compatriot Takashi Sanada fell to a comprehensive defeat in his opening match of the tournament, with Belgium’s Joachim Gerard storming to a 6-0, 6-4 triumph to join Kunieda at the top of the Group A table.

Image title — The NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters brings together the world's top players in the season-ending tournament ©LTA

The quad singles competition, featuring four players, delivered two of the closest matches of the opening day of the Championships, with both going to three sets.

Britain’s Andy Lapthorne looked on course to beat top seed David Wagner having taken the first set 6-1, however, the American battled back to earn a hard fought 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 win.

The second match also threatened to produce a comeback victory as Israel’s Itay Erenlib, making his debut at the tournament, bounced back from losing the opening set to level his contest with South Africa’s Lucas Sithole.

Sithole held his nerve, however, in the deciding set to eventually emerge the 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 winner.

An all-British clash in Group A of the women’s singles event saw Jordanne Whiley emerge as the victor, overcoming her compatriot Lucy Shuker 6-4, 6-2.

The victory could prove crucial to her hopes of progressing from the group which also contains the top seed Jiske Griffioen of The Netherlands, who enjoyed a straightforward 6-3, 6-4 victory over Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock in her opening match.

South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane produced a surprise result in Group B as the eighth seed overcame defending champion Aniek van Koot, beating the Dutchwoman 7-6, 6-4.

The final match of the encounter was a closely fought encounter with The Netherlands’ Marjolein Buis and Japan’s Yui Kamiji fighting out a three set match.

Having lost the opening set 6-4, Buis fought her way back into the tie and triumphed by winning the remaining sets 6-2, 6-3.