Gordon Reid wins back-to-back Rotterdam titles

“I was really happy with the serve and return and those are the most important parts of wheelchair tennis, so I am really pleased with that.”

Great Britain’s Paralympic champion Gordon Reid won his first title of the season after winning the latest International Tennis Federation (ITF) 1 Series event in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The Brit defeated France´s world No. 5 Nicolas Peifer 6-2, 6-1 in the men’s singles final on Saturday (18 February), successfully defending his title from 2016.

“I did not have the best of the starts to the year in Australia so to come back here and defend my title from last year and play really well this week is really pleasing and hopefully I can go on from here for the rest of the season,” said Reid.

The 25-year-old and world No. 3 lost in the first round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year. He also lost in the semi-finals of the Sydney Open and the final of the Melbourne Open, in January.

“I just had a simple plan in my mind of how to play against him [Peifer] and I was focusing on my serve and my return, trying to make sure I started the point well and just staying relaxed in the rest of the point. I think that was the difference,” he added.

“My serve was really reliable, which meant that there was a lot more pressure on his serve. I was really happy with the serve and return and those are the most important parts of wheelchair tennis, so I am really pleased with that.”

Reid also beat compatriot Alfie Hewett 6-0, 6-4 and Argentina´s Gustavo Fernandez 6-3, 6-3 on his way to the final, rounding off a perfect competition for him, without conceding a set.

In the doubles, France´s top-seeded duo of Stephane Houdet-Peifer defeated Japan´s Tayuka Miki and the Netherlands´ Maikel Scheffers in the semi-finals, and Fernandez and Hewitt in the final to claim their second title of the year.

Complete results from the ITF series in Rotterdam can be found on the ITF’s website.

Fernandez presents Argentina Open trophy

Argentina’s wheelchair tennis player Gustavo Fernandez was invited to present the trophy of the Argentina Open to Ukraine´s champion Alexandr Dolgopolov and Japan´s runner-up Kei Nishikori.

“I cannot describe the honour and pride I feel for having given the title to the Argentina Open champion,” wrote Fernandez on his Instagram account @gustifernandez4. “The Argentinian public made me feel emotional with their support. Another experience that will forever cherish in my memory.”