Queensland’s Timothy Gould was among four Australian players to win gold medals at the 2024 Virtus World Tennis Championships in France.
Annecy, France, 16 September 2024 | Leigh Rogers
The Australian team claimed 12 medals, including four gold medals, at the 2024 Virtus World Tennis Championships.
The championships, for the world’s best players with an intellectual impairment (PWII), were held in the French city of Annecy.
Queensland’s Archie Graham was a standout performer for the Australian team, winning four medals. This included gold in the II-1 men’s singles event.
“This is seven [world championships] now that I’ve won in singles, which is a pretty good feeling,” world No.1 Graham said in an interview with Virtus Sport.
“It just comes down to the work I do on the court [and] off the court … you’ve got to put in the work to be able to have the success that I’m having.”
Timothy Gould, the world No.1 in the II-2 category, continued his dominant form on the world stage as well to claim a gold medal in the II-2 men’s singles event.
While Hunter Thompson triumphed in an all-Australian final in the II-3 men’s singles competition, edging out Hayden Ballard 6-7 6-3 [10-8] in an absorbing gold medal match.
“It was a tough match, he played well,” Thompson said of his fellow Queenslander, who was competing at the world championships for the first time. “He was grinding and didn’t stop until the last point.”
“It was probably one of the best matches I’ve ever had the privilege of playing,” Ballard added.
Thompson added to his gold medal haul by teaming with Ballard to triumph in the II-3 men’s doubles event.
A total of 10 Australian players, from across three different states, won medals at the championships.
| 2024 Virtus World Tennis Championships Australian medallists |
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| Gold | Archie Graham (II-1 men’s singles) Timothy Gould (II-2 men’s singles) Hunter Thompson (II-3 men’s singles) Hayden Ballard/Hunter Thompson (II-3 men’s doubles) |
| Silver | Archie Graham/Josh Holloway (II-1 men’s doubles) Andriana Petrakis/Kelly Wren (II-1 women’s doubles) Damian Phillips/Kelly Wren (II-1 mixed doubles) Archie Graham/Mitchell James (II-1 men’s team) Andriana Petrakis/Kelly Wren (II-1 women’s team) Timothy Gould/Aman Ramadani (II-2 men’s doubles) Hayden Ballard (II-3 men’s singles) |
| Bronze | Archie Graham/Andriana Petrakis (II-1 mixed doubles) |
Classifications in the PWII pathway: II-1 (Intellectual Disability), II-2 (Down syndrome), II-3 (Autism).
> VIEW: Full results from the 2024 Virtus World Tennis Championships
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