Hereford'S Matthew Faucher has reached his highest world ranking after winning the men's second draw singles title at the Czech Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships, a Cham-pionships Series 2 event on the international NEC Tour, in Prostejov.

Second-seed Faucher began the clay court tournament by beating Croatian player Jozo Milos 6-3, 6-3 and then lost just seven games in two matches as he defeated both Seven Hiller, of Germany, and Alvaro Illobre, of Spain, to reach the semi-finals.

Faucher's semi-final opponent, Germany's Steffen Sommerfeld, was a familiar opponent and had beaten the 23-year-old Belmont player in the past.

However, despite a tough match in Prostejov, Faucher held on to claim a 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 6-4 victory and earn place in the final against Albin Batycki of Poland.

The final was another three-set match and Faucher had to recover from a second-set slump before recording a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win to claim his third international title. He has now jumped to number 59 in the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour world rankings published by the International Tennis Federation, surpassing his previous best of number 70.

In the men's main draw doubles, Faucher paired up with fellow Briton Tony Knappett.

But, having comfortably reached the quarter-finals, Faucher and Knappett went down 6-0, 6-0 to the Spanish pairing of Illobre and Ivan Da Silva.

Also competing in the Czech Open was Bromyard's British women's number one Janet McMorran.

Having earned a jump of one place in the world rankings a week earlier after reaching the final of the Slovakia Open, World number eight McMorran went to Prostejov as second seed.

However, following a bye into the quarter-finals, McMorran had an exciting battle with fellow Briton Kay Forshaw in her opening match, eventually going down 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4).

It was McMorran's second loss in a fortnight to Forshaw, who had also beaten the Herefordshire player in the final of the National Championships in Gloucester on May Day Bank Holiday Monday.

McMorran and Forshaw paired up for the women's main draw doubles but, after defeating Polish duo Agnieszka Gidzinska Teresa Szyszka 6-0, 6-0 to reach the semi-finals, the Britons were defeated 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) by second seeds and eventual champions Betty Klave of the Netherlands and Britta Siegers of Germany.