Wotjek Czyz caused the big upset in the second round at the Parastanding World Tennis championships in Spain last week only to dip out in the quarter finals.
The Cambridge Paralympian beat France’s Cédric Delmas in a tie-breaker at the end of a two and a half hour marathon in the Barcelona heat.
But the effort clearly wore the 44-year-old out as he lost to the eventual winner Peru’s Gianfranco Scamarone in the quarter final.
Parastanding tennis is designed for those players who have some physical disability but can play without the use of a wheelchair. It gives dwarfs, people with loss or deficiency of limbs, cerebral palsy or acquired brain injuries the opportunity to play.
There were 77 players from 21 different nationalities competing.
Earlier this year Czyz, a four time Paralympic champion in athletics, represented New Zealand in the Australian Tennis Open in Melbourne.
The path to success for Czyz, born in Poland in 1980 and raised in Germany, took an unexpected turn at the age of 21. After securing a contract to play professional football, a collision during a match resulted in a severe knee injury, leading to the amputation of his left leg above the knee.
Wotjek Czyz in action in Spain.
He moved to New Zealand in 2019, took up para badminton and represented his adopted country last year in France. He lives in Erureka with his wife and son.
He joined the Cambridge Racquet Club because his first interaction showed him how inclusive the club culture was, which is very important to him.
