Japan Men Deliver Stunning Upset in 2003 Invacare World Team Cup; Dutch Women Stage Traditional Dominance.

Business Editors

ELYRIA, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 25, 2003

The 2003 Invacare World Team Cup brought together the world's top wheelchair tennis players in a competition marked by traditional powerhouse victories and surprising upsets. Held June 9-15 in Sopot, Poland, the annual event pitted players against one another not for the attainment of personal victory or ranking, but for team competition and the attainment of national pride.

In men's play, the third-seed team, Japan, surprised everyone by winning its first-ever World Team Cup title and the first ever won by an Asian nation. Japan defeated the traditional favorites - the Dutch team, twice champions in the past five years, and the American team, last year's runners-up in the hunt for its first trophy since 1997.

Japan defeated the United States 2-0 in the finals to win the title. In the opening singles rubber, Shingo Kunieda seized control early, producing some breathtaking tennis against American Jon Rydberg to breeze through the first set 6-1. Kunieda raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set before Rydberg claimed two more games, but Kunieda wrapped up a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 victory. In the second rubber, Satoshi Saida faced Stephen Welch to produce some spellbinding tennis and endless rallies. Saida emerged victorious at 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 as the Japanese Camp erupted in joyous scenes. Earlier in the day, Japan defeated the Netherlands in the semi-finals.

In women's action, the Netherlands defeated the United States 2-0 in the finals to claim the country's 16th women's title. Esther Vergeer and Maaike Smit, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world respectively, proved too much for the second-seed Americans. Smit defeated Karin Korb in the opening singles rubber, and Vergeer defeated Sharon Clark to continue the Dutch dominance in World Team Cup play.

Among quad competitors, the United States stopped Great Britain's attempt at a third-straight championship to reclaim its World Team Cup title. The U.S. scored a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in the finals.

It looked at first like a re-run of last year's final, with American Nick Taylor facing Peter Norfolk and American David Wagner challenging Mark Eccleston. Victory changed hands this time, however, as Taylor secured a 6-0, 6-3 win and Wagner racked up a similar 6-1, 6-2 score. It was the second World Team Cup quad title for the U.S. team, which won the inaugural competition in 1998 and finished as runners-up in each of the past four years.

Sweden won its first-ever World Team Cup title in juniors play, defeated the United States in the finals. American Kaitlyn Verfuerth defeated Sweden's Alexander Hansson 6-0, 1-6, 6-1 to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead, but Stefan Olsson defeated Zack Sikora 6-2, 6-4 to tie the team score. Hansson and Olsson emerged from a tie-breaking doubles rubber 6-3, 6-4 to claim the title.

The World Team Cup competition was created in 1985 as an outgrowth of foreign participation in the U.S. Open Wheelchair Tennis Championship. By 1992, it became a stand-alone event and moved outside the United States for the first time. Since then, it has been hosted by eight different countries, drawing more than 300 participants and about 150 additional guests and coaches each year.

Invacare Corporation (NYSE:IVC) is the global leader in the manufacture and distribution of innovative home medical products which promote recovery and active lifestyles through more than 25,000 providers. The company, which had 2002 revenues of $1.09 billion, goes to market in the following channels of distribution: home care, mass retail and institutional. Within these channels of distribution, Invacare participates in the following product segments: Home Care, which includes rehab products, respiratory products, manual wheelchairs, home care beds, therapeutic support surfaces and personal care products marketed by Invacare's Home Care Group; Soft Goods and Supplies, which includes ostomy, incontinence, wound care and diabetic supplies marketed by Invacare Supply Group; and Institutional, which includes nursing home beds, patient lifts and slings, nursing home furniture and bathing systems marketed by Invacare Continuing Care Group. The company's headquarters are in Elyria, Ohio, and the firm has manufacturing plants in the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. For more information about the company, visit Invacare's website at www.invacare.com.

Invacare Corporation's Team Invacare sponsors approximately 75 wheelchair athletes and teams, including wheelchair tennis, basketball (the Cleveland Cavaliers wheelchair team and individuals as well as Dallas Mavericks), quad rugby teams, and individual track and racing athletes.