North Bay's Rob Shaw is scheduled to face a familiar foe in his opening match in the wheelchair tennis quad division tournament at the Paralympic Games following the draw announcement on Tuesday.
Shaw, ranked eighth in the world, takes on Ymanitu Silva of Brazil in the 16-player tournament which gets underway on Saturday at Roland-Garros Stadium. The Brazilian currently sits at number 11 internationally.
See: Shaw heading to another Paralympic Games
‘’There’s definitely no surprises between me and my opponent,’’ said Shaw, at his second Paralympics. ‘’We’ve played several times together in doubles. We haven’t played against each other since the 2023 Parapan Am Games and that was a tough three-set match.
‘’I’m expecting something similar here.’’
Shaw won the silver medal at the Parapan Am Games and defeated the Brazilian in the semifinals 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.
Shaw will be making his second consecutive Paralympic appearance, looking to improve upon his opening-round defeat in his debut at Tokyo 2020. A two-time Parapan Am Games medallist, the 34-year-old won gold at the Lima 2019 Games and silver at Santiago 2023. He was Canada’s co-flag bearer for the Santiago 2023 Parapan Am Games Opening Ceremony.
In 2024, the 34-year-old Canadian holds a hot hand heading into the Games, including winning his last two tournaments. His victory at the Swiss Open last month was his first career win in the ITF1 Series, the highest level in the sport.
‘’Overall, I think it will be an entertaining match,’’ he said about his opener in Paris. ‘’As long as I play well as I have been, I’m confident I can come out on top.’’
Shaw is the sole Canadian entry in wheelchair tennis at the Games.
