Sydney, Australia, 26 December 2012 | Tennis Australia

Australian wheelchair tennis legend David Hall (Sydney, NSW) has a new job this summer – he’s been named the ambassador of the 2013 Australian Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which swings into action on 2 January 2013 in Brisbane.

“If I look at it from a player’s perspective the Australian Wheelchair Tennis Tour is a great opportunity regardless of whether you are a local, interstate or overseas player … it’s a great circuit,” said Hall, who dominated wheelchair tennis across the globe for a decade, finishing No.1 in singles for six years between 1995 and 2005.

Some of the world’s best will be heading down under for the Australian Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which is comprised of the following tournaments:

Queensland Open, 2-5 January, Queensland Tennis Centre & Griffith University Tennis Centre, Brisbane
ITF Be Active Adelaide Wheelchair Open, 6-9 January, Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Adelaide
Sydney International Wheelchair Open, 11-15 January, Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre, Sydney
Melbourne Open, 17-20 January, Notting Hill Pinewood Tennis Club, Glen Waverley
Australian Open, Grand Slam, 23-26 January, Melbourne Park

“My role during the summer will consist of promoting the events any way that I can,” expressed Hall, who began playing wheelchair tennis at 19, three years after he lost his legs hitchhiking on the Central Coast of NSW, where he was hit by a car.

Hall, 42, who enjoyed an illustrious wheelchair tennis career – he won every major title at some time during his career, including gold at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics and silver at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympics – will also mentor the emerging Australian wheelchair tennis talent who will be on the tour this summer.

“Keep an eye out for Adam Kellerman of Sydney whose ranking jumped 50 spots to No. 24 in the world, he is a player on the rise. Also look out for Keegan Oh Chee, another young Sydney player with lots of potential. He’ll be one to look out for in the coming years,” Hall said, who works as a freelance writer in his spare time.

Other Australian wheelchair tennis players to keep an eye out for this summer include stalwart Daniela Di Toro, and rising stars Janel Manns, Sarah Calati and Ben Weekes.

Halls’ role as ambassador of the Australia Wheelchair Tennis Tour will extend beyond the summer.

“Next year I’ll be working with the able-bodied coaching courses, teaching the coaches the nuances of wheelchair tennis, going into rehabilitation centres talking about wheelchair tennis being a viable and fun option for newly injured people, and continuing to mentor our young players,” the Sydneysider revealed.

The year 2013 is the second time this new-look tour will roll into action. Tennis Australia partnered with the Australian Paralympic Committee to launch the tour in late 2011, which is designed to attract the world’s best players who are chasing a valuable prize purse and points.