ASH Priors wheelchair tennis star Lucy Shuker plays her first match at the Australian Open since 2014 on Wednesday as her latest Grand Slam challenge marks the culmination of four back-to-back tournaments in Australia to start 2016.

World No.7 Shuker will face world No.1 and defending champion Jiske Griffioen of the Netherlands, the same player the British No.2 faced in her women’s singles first round at the first Grand Slam of the year two years ago before returning to Grand Slam singles action at last September’s US Open in New York.

“It’s great to be back here and looking forward to another Australian Open. Playing the world No.1 and defending champion you expect a tough match, but that’s no different to anyone you’ll play at a Grand Slam,” said Shuker, one of four Brits one the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis World Class Programme contesting the Australian Open. “We had a close match at the Masters in London in our last match of 2015, so I can take confidence from that.”

A singles semi-finalist at the first Super Series tournament of the year in Sydney and a singles quarter-finalist at last week’s ITF 2 Series Melbourne Open, Shuker’s challenges at both tournament came to an end against world No.2 Yui Kamiji of Japan and world No.4 Sabine Ellerbrock of German respectively.

However, Shuker ended 2015 by defeating Ellerbrock 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 in one of her three round-robin matches at last month’s NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters in London and subsequently led Griffioen 4-2 in the first set of their round-robin match before Griffioen went on to earn a 7-6(3), 6-3 win.

“I imposed my game on to her at the Masters, which I knew I had to. She’s world No.1 and she’s number one for a reason, but I think that as much as was disappointed I lost that match, seeing where I am against these top players and having chances to win is promising for going forward.”

With the Rio Paralympics a major focus this year, Shuker will partner fellow Brit Jordanne Whiley in the women’s doubles at the Australian Open for the first time as the London 2012 bronze medallists ramp up preparations for this year’s Games in Brazil.

Former Wimbledon finalists Shuker and Whiley will play Dutch top seeds Griffioen and Aniek van Koot in their doubles semi-final on Thursday at Melbourne Park. The Brits were semi-finalists in the women’s doubles at the recent Sydney Open Super Series after Shuker began her season by partnering South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane to finish runner-up in the women’s doubles at the Queensland Open in Brisbane.

Lucy Shuker v Jiske Griffioen is the fourth match scheduled on Court 7 at Melbourne Park on Wednesday, 27th January.