Heath Davidson survived a scare to contribute to Australia's 3-0 win over South Africa in the Wheelchair Tennis World Team Cup quad event ©Getty Images

Australia were among the past champions to begin the Wheelchair Tennis World Team Cup quad event by winning their opening ties in Apeldoorn.

The 2016 winners beat South Africa 3-0 in Group A on the first day of action in the Dutch city.

Heath Davidson survived a scare in his first-ever match with Mahlane Donald Ramphadi before prevailing 6-7, 7-6, 6-3.

Dylan Alcott was rather more clinical as he extended his unbeaten sequence over Lucas Sithole to 14 matches with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Davidson and Alcott then combined to defeat Ramphadi and Sithole 6-2, 6-1 in the doubles rubber.

The other match in Group A saw another past champion, Israel, overcome Japan 2-1.

London 2012 Paralympic gold medallist Noam Gershony raced past Japan's Shota Kawano in a 6-0, 6-1 win, while another former world number one, Shraga Weinberg, had a considerably more difficult time before defeating Koji Sugeno 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

Sugeno and Mitsuteru Moroishi beat Gershony and Patrick Ben Uriel in the doubles rubber, 6-1, 6-2.

In Group B, there were 3-0 wins for both the United States and Great Britain against Canada and hosts The Netherlands respectively.

Canada’s Rob Shaw took world number one David Wagner of the US to a deciding set for the second successive match, but Wagner would not be denied and ended strongly to give his country a relatively comfortable 6-1, 6-7, 6-2 success and an unassailable lead over their rivals.

Andy Lapthorne helped Great Britain to a 3-0 win over hosts The Netherlands in Group B ©Getty Images
Andy Lapthorne helped Great Britain to a 3-0 win over hosts The Netherlands in Group B ©Getty Images

The other singles rubber saw Bryan Barten beat Gary Luker 6-2, 6-2, a scoreline that was replicated in the doubles rubber which pitted Wagner and Nicholas Taylor against Luker and Mitch Mcintrye.

Andy Lapthorne helped Britain to their comprehensive 3-0 victory over The Netherlands, winning the decisive singles rubber against Niels Vink 6-0, 6-0.

"It is always tough to play the home nation," Lapthorne said.

"Wherever you go they always get a lot of home support out there.

"It is just nice to get the three wins under the belt."

Antony Cotterill began the tie by defeating Coen van Werkhoven 6-1, 6-3 and then partnered James Shaw to win the doubles rubber against Vink and Van Werkhoven 6-2, 6-3.

In the women’s event, there were four 3-0 wins today.

The Netherlands overcame Argentina in Group A, while there were also triumphs for Japan against Kenya in Group B, Britain against Thailand in Group C and France against South Korea in Group D. 

Action in Apeldoorn is due to continue tomorrow across two venues, Tennis Club de Sprenkelaar and Tennis Club de Maten.

The quad and women's events will carry on, while the men's competition is scheduled to begin.