WHEELCHAIR tennis ace, Mark Eccleston will be taking on the world when he travels to America next week for the forthcoming Florida Open.

Mark from Bridge Road, Clock Face, has been confined to a wheelchair since the age of 16 when he was seriously injured in a car accident.

But, far from his condition slowing him down, Mark has gone on to excel himself in wheelchair sports and captained the British Wheelchair Rugby team for a number of years which saw him travel to Atlanta for the last Paralympic Games.

Now solely competing in Quad Tennis, which is aimed at anyone with neck injuries which result in little or no movement in at least three limbs, the 29-year-old is already Britain's number one ranked player and world ranked third.

Following a lucrative sponsorship deal with Littlewoods, he is now aiming to take on the coveted world number one mantle.

Mark, who trains at the Wirral Tennis Centre, told the Star: "I was runner-up in this competition last year so I am hoping to go one better this year. Wheelchair tennis has become one of the biggest growing wheelchair sports in the last couple of years and the Littlewoods deal has given me the financial backing to compete on a higher level. My next aim is to reach the world number one spot before the 2,000 Sydney Paralympics."

Littlewoods spokesman, Matthew Velarde, added: "Mark is an outstanding sportsman. It makes perfect sense for Littlewoods to give him backing which will enable him to become the world's number one."

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