Shuker seals doubles hat-trick with Korea Open triumph in Seoul

Double Paralympic medallist Lucy Shuker completed a hat-trick of doubles titles in South Korea as she clinched victory alongside partner Kgothatso Montjane at the Korea Open.

Having already won the Busan Open and Daegu Open with fellow Brit Jordanne Whiley, Shuker teamed up with the South African to make it three in a row in Seoul.

The unseeded pairing overcame top seeds Marjolein Buis and Dana Mathewson, of the Netherlands and United States respectively, 6-4 6-3 to triumph in the final.

Shuker was unable to replicate her form in the singles, though, where the fourth seed was beaten in the semi-finals by her doubles partner and second seed Montjane, 6-0 6-4.

In the men’s singles, Great Britain’s Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett went head-to-head for a place in the semi-finals after they both breezed through their respective quarter-finals.

And in a rematch of the Rio 2016 Paralympic gold medal match, which was won by 27-year-old Reid, Hewett rose to the occasion to triumph 7-6 (3) 6-3 to reach the final.

It will be the second Korea Open men’s singles final in three years for Hewett, who will look to become the second successive British champion in Seoul after Reid’s success last year.

He will face a tough challenge for the trophy, however, with number one seed Joachim Gerard of Belgium standing in his way after his semi-final victory over Takashi Sanada.

Hewett and Reid had already gone out of the men’s doubles earlier this week, losing their semi-final against Dutch duo and eventual champions Tom Egberink and Maikel Scheffers.