Beijing Paralympic star Jamie Burdekin makes history for Wirral Tennis Centre

Oct 1 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

A WIRRAL based tennis player has succeeded where Andy Murray fell short after bringing a bronze medal home from Beijing.

Jamie Burdekin, 28, won bronze in the quad doubles at the Beijing Paralympics and became the second Wirral Tennis Centre player to win a medal in the same event in successive Paralympics.

Burdekin, who travels from his Bootle home to train at the Bidston facility under the guidance of coach, Vicky Basnett, partnered Hampshire's Peter Norfolk to win the bronze medal, the British pairing picking themselves up after a surprise semi-final loss to earn their place on the podium

Burdekin and Norfolk went into the Games as the second seeds and as one of only three pairings to have beaten the American top seeds and defending champions in the last four year.

But having never before played their Israeli semi-final opponents Boaz Kramer and Shraga Weinberg, Burdekin and Norfolk were edged out 4-6, 4-6 in their quest to book a place in the final.

But two days later, they produced a determined effort to beat Dutch duo Dorrie Timmermans and Bas Van Erp 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-1.

Burdekin said: “This is the best night of my life. I was absolutely gutted to lose the semi-final, but it's great to be finally going home with a medal from my first Paralympics.”