The final two 2025 ITF Wheelchair Tour events in Canada took place in early October, with Thomas Venos coming close to securing hardware for the host nation, only to be denied by a familiar face.
American Conner Stroud was a thorn in the side of the British Columbian, beating him in both Bedford, NS, and at the Sure Grip International Wheelchair Tennis Open in Fredericton, NB.
Here is the monthly wheelchair tennis update.
At the first event in Bedford, Venos cruised into the singles final with the loss of just a single game in his first two matches combined. However, Stroud was in control throughout the final, taking it 6-3, 6-1.
Fredericton was the more competitive of the two events. After a 6-0, 6-0 win in his opening match, Venos had to fend off Francesco Felici of Italy in the semis before upping the intensity in the final against Stroud. The Canadian bounced back after a slow start to turn the match into a battle, but Stroud was able to hang tough late in the final set, squeaking out a 6-0, 2-6, 7-5 win.
Read also: Through the Years - Auger-Aliassime’s Journey to Second US Open Semifinal
Doubles was a similar story. The draws at both events were three-team round robins, with Stroud and Felici finishing atop the group ahead of Venos and his fellow Canadian Barry Henderson.
The two doubles events followed near-identical scripts. Felici and Stroud won both of their matches while Henderson and Venos went 1-1, with their loss both times coming in straight sets against the Italian-American duo. Canadian Patrick Levis and Argentina’s Mariano Rubinowicz were the third pair and lost all of their matches.
On the women’s side, there was just a round-robin singles event played in both cities, with Great Britain’s Martha Harris coming out on top each time. She won all five of her matches across the two events. Canada’s Anne-Marie Dolinar finished second both times, beating fellow Canadian Vicki Morton in each event as well as Canada’s Marilyn Abbs, who only competed in Bedford, but losing to Harris.
Read also: Quebec City National Bank Challenger Kicks Off Fall’s Canadian Pro Events
Fredericton was the final ITF Wheelchair event in Canada in 2025, although the Birmingham Canadian Wheelchair Tennis Championships are still to come in November.
Canadians Strike Gold
While he came up just short on home soil, Thomas Venos has not been empty-handed over the last month.
Back in September, Venos and Barry Henderson scored the doubles title at the ITF Futures Series event in Gold River, California. The pair did not lose a set, capping off the run with a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory in the final over Americans Charlie Cooper and Tomas Majetic.
Read also: Gauff Wins in Wuhan
It was Venos’ second ITF doubles title of the year and 16th overall, while it was Henderson’s first title of the year and fourth in his career.
Venos also reached the singles final in Gold River but lost to Cooper.
Feature Photo: Geoff Robins
