Double joy for Fernandez in Melbourne ahead of Australian Open

The Argentinian wheelchair tennis player will go into the year’s first Grand Slam on a high after winning the men’s singles and doubles titles at the Melbourne Open. 23 Jan 2017

Argentina's Gustavo Fernandez in action during his match against Maikel Scheffers on Day 1 of NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on November 30, 2016 in London.

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By ITF and IPC

Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez will head into this week’s Australian Open quietly confident of winning his second Grand Slam title after upsetting Great Britain’s world No.1 Gordon Reid in the Melbourne Open final on Saturday (21 January).

The 23-year-old, who claimed his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last year, defeated Rio 2016 Paralympic champion Reid in straight sets 7-6 (3), 6-1 to lift his first singles title since last July’s Belgian Open.

Saturday’s win was the first time Fernandez has beaten the Brit since the Pensacola Open in March 2016, a period which has since Reid beat him at last September’s Paralympic Games and December’s NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters.

The two players have now faced each other 26 times taking 13 victories apiece.

Fernandez had another reason to celebrate in Melbourne as he also claimed the men’s doubles title, partnering with Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett for the first time in his career. They beat the top seeded couple of Belgium’s Joachim Gerard and France’s Nicolas Peifer 6-3, 6-4.

Japan’s world No.2 Yui Kamiji lifted the women’s singles trophy with her first ever 6-0, 6-0 victory over the Netherlands’ Aniek van Koot.

Kamiji showed top form ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year and is hoping to dethrone world No.1 Jiske Griffioen, who won the last two editions of the Australian Open.

The Australian Open will take place in Melbourne from 25-28 January.

More information is available on the International Tennis Federation’s website.