Fernandez, Kamiji, Alcott notch Australian Open titles

“I want to eat a big steak and then go home and enjoy with my family and the people who support me.”

The first Grand Slam of the year ended in style, with Gustavo Fernandez, Yui Kamiji and Dylan Alcott claiming the men’s, women’s and quad singles titles, respectively, in Melbourne, Australia, on 28 January.

Argentina’s Fernandez added a second singles Grand Slam title to his collection, after lifting the trophy at Roland Garros in 2016, following a 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory over Frenchman Nicolas Peifer in the men’s final.

“I am very happy about it,” the 23-year-old said. “It was a long way to get here. I think on the clay I feel a little better because that is my favourite surface. Here it is so fast, it is tough. I am very happy I managed to play good tennis during the week.

“The courts had been slower the past two years, but then they made the courts faster this year. It is good for me that I can prove to myself I can be there (on fast courts), beating the top players.

“I want to eat a big steak and then go home and enjoy with my family and the people who support me.”

In partnership with Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett, Fernandez was also close to claim the Australian Open doubles title but lost to the pair of Great Britain’s Gordon Reid and Belgium’s Joachim Gerard 6-3, 3-6, [10-3].

“It feels good,” said Reid, who has completed his set of Grand Slam doubles titles. “Maybe a bit more of a feeling of relief today (27 January) because I do not think any of us played our best tennis. But we stepped up for the match tiebreak and played well when it counted.”

Japan’s Yui Kamiji became the second non-Dutch to win the Australian Open women’s singles title after beating the Netherlands’ world No.1 and two-time Paralympic champion Jiske Griffioen 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3 in the final.

This is the third Grand Slam trophy for the 22-year-old, who claimed the Roland Garros and US Open singles titles in 2014.

“I am just really happy,” she said.

“Griffioen is really tough,” Kamiji added. “The first set was really close and she was very good. I was a little bit better in the second set, and a little bit nervous in the final set. But she was nervous as well and made more mistakes than me.

“I was a bit lucky.”

Despite losing the singles final, Griffioen left Australia with a bittersweet taste as she sealed the doubles title together with compatriot Aniek van Koot. They defeated Kamiji and Dutch player Diede de Groot 6-3, 6-2 in the final.

The quad singles final between home favourite Dylan Alcott and Great Britain’s Andy Lapthorne was the first wheelchair tennis match ever to take place on a Grand Slam centre court, with 5,000 people in attendance and national TV coverage.

Australia’s Alcott achieved a 6-2, 6-2 win to claim his third successive Australian Open title.

“It feels amazing to have the three-peat, which is what I wanted,” he said.

“I studied economics and supply-and-demand, and I kept saying to Tennis Australia, ‘if you put me on Court 7 or 8 you are going to be about 4,000 seats short.’

“I am going to have about 1,000 beers and I literally know about 1,000 people who were there because I have the best support system. They are all waiting for me to go buy them beers.”

The quad doubles title went to Lapthorne and USA’s David Wagner, who beat the Australian pair of Alcott and Heath Davidson 6-3, 6-3.

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