By Duncan Mackay

Shingo Kunieda in front of NEC signJuly 29 - Mission Viejo in California will host both of the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) year-end wheelchair events after the Marguerite Tennis Pavilion was selected as the venue for the 2013 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters.


The event will be held alongside the ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters on November 5 until 11, which the American city had been awarded in April.

This is the first time that either year-end event has been held in the United States, and the first time since 2002 that the two events have been held at the same venue. 

"With our newly renovated Marguerite Tennis Pavilion, our city is the perfect venue to host both the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters and the ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters," said Mission Viejo Mayor Rhonda Reardon.

"Mission Viejo has long been a huge supporter of this phenomenal sport, and we look forward to embracing the Masters and welcoming outstanding and inspiring athletes from around the globe to our beautiful city."

The NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters, which was first held in 1994, is the ITF year-end Championship for the world's top eight men's and women singles players and the world's top four quad singles players.

Its role of honour includes all the wheelchair tennis stars led by 14-time champion Esther Vergeer of Netherlands, who has now retired.

Shingo Kunieda (pictured top) of Japan, Jiske Griffioen of Netherlands and American David Wagner are expected to defend their 2012 titles in Mission Viejo.

Marguerite Tennis PavilionCalifornia's Marguerite Tennis Pavilion in will host both of the International Tennis Federation's flagship end-of-year wheelchair events

The ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters is the flagship wheelchair tennis doubles event. 

First staged in 2000, the season-ending event currently features the world's top eight men's pairs, top six women's pairs and top four quad pairs.

Mission Viejo has long supported wheelchair tennis, and for the past seven years has hosted the ITF Cruyff Foundation

Brad Parks, the founder of wheelchair tennis and an ITF Wheelchair Tennis Ambassador who lives close to Mission Viejo in San Clemente, has been named honorary chair of the 2013 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters and ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters.

"We are delighted that Mission Viejo has increased its support of wheelchair tennis by hosting our two prestigious year-end competitions," said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti.

"It is a part of the world so closely linked to the history of wheelchair tennis, while staging the two events at the same venue should ensure that entries are at maximum strength."

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