Kellerman progresses, Weekes out and Rollers rolled

NSWIS athlete Adam Kellerman has won his way into the third round of the wheelchair tennis competition at the Rio Paralympics with a comfortable straight sets victory over Japan’s Satoshi Saida.

After a tight first set that he won 7-5, Kellerman then breezed through the second set 6-1 in just 34 minutes.

Despite serving a worrying eight double faults, Kellerman, who has limited use of his right leg as a result of cancer and a subsequent bone infection as a teenager, was far too strong when it counted, converting four of his six break point opportunities.

Fellow NSWIS tennis player Ben Weekes was not as lucky, going down to Swede Stefan Olsson 0-6, 3-6 in just over an hour.

In basketball, the Australian Rollers have suffered their first defeat of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games after succumbing 75-64 to an energetic Spain outfit at the Rio Olympic Arena.

Having taken top spot in Pool A after defeating 2012 champions Canada on day three, the Rollers were brought back to earth with a thud less than 24 hours later by the Spaniards, with the Europeans over-coming a slow start to dominate the second term and head to half-time in the lead.

Spain further distanced themselves from the Rollers in the third term before cruising to victory in the final stanza.

NSWIS athlete Brett Stibners contributed six points, three assists and a rebound for Australia, who will next play Japan in another Group stage game.

Australia’s women’s goalball team, featuring NSWIS players Jennifer Blow, Michelle Rzepecki and Tyan Taylor, remains a chance of advancing from the group stages of the Rio 2016 Paralympic tournament despite being beaten 12-2 by Turkey at the Future Arena.

Turkey, the gold medal favourite was efficient in attack and skilled in defence as it dismantled the Australian challenge.

Australia will have a day off then play their final group stage game against Canada.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, NSWIS track cyclist Amanda Reid won silver behind a world record ride by Dutch woman Alyda Norbruis in the individual C1-3 500m time trial finals.

Reid, who is now a two-time Paralympian in two different sports after she made her Games debut in London in 2012 in swimming, competing in the S14 100 metres breaststroke event, was in the gold medal position late in the competition before Norbruis snatched the victory.

The 19-year-old C2 competitor was the second from last on the start order and she flew over the two laps to clock 40.354 seconds slashing two seconds from the C2 Paralympic Games record.

In a combined event times are adjusted based on classification and after factoring Reid’s time was posted as 37.581 which put her first with one rider to come.

“It’s just incredible. I looked up at my time and I was shocked,” said Reid. “I thought ‘wow, I’ve got a Paralympic track medal’.

“I didn’t really think about what I was going to do I just went out and rode the best I could and tried to beat my personal best,” she said. “That was the best ride I have ever done.

“I had a little bit of nerves and then they went away when I got in that start gate because I knew what I had to do.”