Emotional Lapthorne revels at Roland Garros

Andy Lapthorne has won some of the biggest prizes in tennis but claimed few things will top his first round win at the Paralympics.

Lapthorne, the number four seed in the men’s wheelchair tennis quad singles, beat Peru’s Diego Perez 6-4 6-3 on the packed Suzanne Lenglen show court at Roland Garros.

He will now face Canada’s Robert Shaw in the last eight following his 6-2 6-1 win over Brazil’s Ymanitu Silva.

“I’m pretty speechless right now,” said Lapthorne.

“To play in front of a crowd like that has taken my breath away really, I feel very emotional.

“You come to Paris and you don’t expect to get much support and to have a full Suzanne Lenglen stadium coming to watch disability sport is pretty mind boggling. “For me, it’s the best experience of my life. I’ve won grand slams, I’ve won some big tournaments but out there, that was right at the top of the list.”

This is the first time Paralympic wheelchair tennis has been played at a Grand Slam venue, at London 2012 the Games were staged at Lee Valley rather than Wimbledon, the host for the Olympics.

Lapthorne, 33, is a 14-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and has two silvers and a bronze from his previous three Paralympic appearances.

“It probably wasn’t the best match I’ve ever played,” he added.

“When you’re playing on a court like that full of people, it makes the game very difficult to play and he played a smart match. I managed to grind my way through it and use the crowd and use the energy to pull me in the right direction.

“At the end of the day it’s about winning and I managed to do that. We move onto the next round, it’s not going to be an easy match but after that we’re flying.”

Lapthorne even vowed the crowd with an air guitar celebration, though he admitted it perhaps a little out of character.

“I don’t know what I was doing to be honest,” he said.

“I know Rafa Nadal loves it here and I’ve seen him do that before. Crazy things happen when you’re in front of that many people and there’s that much energy coming your way. “It’s an unbelievable buzz and just amazing to experience that.”