Wimbledon: Neal Skupski victorious in men's doubles as Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett reclaim wheelchair doubles title
Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof lived up to their top-seed billing with a 6-4 6-4 win over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos; British duo Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid won their fifth Wimbledon wheelchairs doubles title, beating Japan's Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda in three sets
Sunday 16 July 2023 07:02, UK
Neal Skupski became just the second Briton to win the Wimbledon men's doubles in the Open Era after he and Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof triumphed on Centre Court.
Only Jonny Marray had previously won at SW19 back in 2012, but Skupski and Koolhof lived up to their top-seed billing with a 6-4 6-4 win over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.
Victory ensured home success at this year's tournament and also gave Skupski a Wimbledon hat-trick after glory in the 2021 and 2022 mixed doubles.
- Wimbledon Live! Join our blog for match updates, press conferences, video and features
- Sky Sports announce all-star line-up for US Open
Skupski, 33 and from Liverpool, said this would be the "pinnacle" and it is his first Grand Slam title in the men's doubles, having lost in the US Open final last year.
Pre-armed with some tactical analysis sent in from Skupski's brother Ken from his holiday in Ibiza, the Dutch-British pair looked assured from the off and claimed the opening set 6-4.
They continued to dominate from there and crucially took Zeballos' serve to lead 3-2 after a particularly impressive return game. Skupski immediately held to go 4-2 up before they missed two break points to move within a game of the title as Granollers came good.
That left the Briton to finish the job and he did not disappoint the home crowd, falling to the floor in celebration after their opponents went long on the first championship point.
Skupski said on court: "I don't know what to say. Growing up watching this amazing championship, going out there as a small boy, this feeling at the moment doesn't get better.
"Me and Wesley came together 18 months ago and this year one of our goals was to win a Grand Slam and now we have done it, it feels very special."
Reid and Hewett win fifth Wimbledon title | 'We dream of atmospheres like this'
British duo Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid won their fifth Wimbledon wheelchairs doubles title, beating Japan's Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda in three sets.
Hewett and Reid reclaimed the title, having been runners-up last year, with a 3-6 6-0 6-3 victory on Court One.
It was a measure of revenge for Scotsman Reid, who was beaten by Oda in the singles semi-final earlier on Saturday.
"That was something else, I've got goosebumps," said Hewett. "We dream of atmospheres like this, it doesn't come around often and I'm glad we rose to the occasion."
- Hewett: Wheelchair tennis most amazing thing to happen to me
- Why tennis is the loneliest and most emotionally challenging sport
Reid added: "It was a great match. I think we're going to have a lot of battles in the future. Me and Alfie, on match point, we were both tearing up a little bit, the atmosphere was electric.
"My first Wimbledon was in 2008 on Court 53 or something in front of three men and his dog, my mum and my sister. If you'd told me then we'd be on a nearly full Court One with the crowd going berserk, I would never have believed you.
"It's an incredible atmosphere and an incredible occasion for us and for wheelchair tennis."
