Alfie Hewett targets US Open double with victory in wheelchair singles final
Hewett successfully defended his wheelchair men's doubles title with Gordon Reid on Saturday
Monday 10 September 2018 02:49, UK
Great Britain's Alfie Hewett reached the US Open men's wheelchair singles final with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 semi-final win over Argentina's Gustavo Fernandez.
The 20-year-old, who on Saturday was crowned 2018 doubles champion with compatriot Gordon Reid, is competing at Flushing Meadows for the second year.
His debut in 2017 saw him finish as doubles champion, again with Reid by his side, and runners-up honours in the singles.
But now he's got that doubles title defence under his belt, Hewett hopes to go one better and do the US Open double when he heads onto Louis Armstrong on Sunday evening.
"I want two trophies coming back with me on that flight on Monday," Hewett told Sky Sports. "That's the aim and I'm going to try my hardest to make it happen."
To achieve his goal, Hewett will have to beat Japan's Shingo Kunieda, a player he respects and has called a "legend within the sport and somebody I admire for what he's achieved".
"He's going to make me earn the win and I'm going to have to work for every single point but I'm going to go into to it like I have the rest of the week - focusing on myself and what I can do - and I think that's worked," Hewett laughed.
"I played him last week and although I won in straight sets it was really tight. He's not a competitor that's going to roll over and for me, I need to maintain the aggression I've had in my matches the last couple of days."
Hewett has already played two incredibly tough matches on the way to the final showdown but has yet to drop a set.
His semi-final against Fernandez on Saturday saw 'trademark Alfie' out in full force.
As always he wore his heart on sleeve, whether he was celebrating the elation of getting that winner and going ahead or showing his frustration at what could have been. That was particularly evident in the ninth game when both players had game point opportunities but could not take them before Hewett's Argentine opponent came through.
But that's one of the things that makes any Hewett match a big crowd draw.
"It wasn't easy. I think my preparations going into the match were a little rushed this morning as I really wasn't expecting the women's match to finish so quickly and I went out there on a full stomach so I really didn't know what was going to happen and how I was going to feel," he said.
"Gus hits the ball so powerfully and it's a frustrating match against him because he never lets you find your rhythm and you have to plan for that every time you play him.
"But I will say it was a really good match for me and to dictate the second set like I did I couldn't be happier with that performance.
"I was very clinical when I needed to be and used the court very smartly, that was the game plan and I kept to it."
One of the moments that potentially helped him to go on to dominate that second set was the crucial first set tie-break which saw Hewett put light between him and the World No.3 and win the last six points to take it.
"That tie-break win was such a big thing for the rest of the match," he said. "To have such a close first set, I'm not sure how long it lasted but I felt like I was out there for days, and to come through it on top it just gives you that little bit of extra energy knowing that that first game of the second set is such an important service game."
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And after all the semi-final drama and tension, going forward into Sunday's big match whether he once again executes the perfect game plan or has to grind his way, as we've seen him do so often, through three sets and a deciding tie-break it is clear that Hewett's love affair with this particular Grand Slam and New York City will continue.
"It's a place I feel comfortable, the court surface suits me, it plays a little bit slower which allows me to really get in a good position to hit the balls I want to, you know play my style of game," Hewett said.
"But I wish I knew myself for definite why everything just works here then I could take that feeling into the other Slams."
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