US Open 2018: Dylan Alcott lifts trophy

With a quick tug on the wheel and a flick of the wrist, Australia’s Dylan Alcott hit the ball in a winning spot to collect his second US Open quad wheelchair singles title on Sunday (9 September).

He survived three rounds of round-robin play before spoiling a home win for David Wagner, 7-5, 6-2, in the year’s final Grand Slam.

“I was lucky enough to win,” admitted Alcott, who won his sixth Grand Slam singles crown.

“I love playing tennis,” Alcott said, but noted that his main competition is a small group that battle at tournaments all over the world. “It’s always the same guys. But it’s like men’s tennis was a few years ago when all the semi-finals had the same four players: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. There are thousands of wheelchair players, but there are only a handful at the top.”

Hewett tops top seed

Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett eliminated top seed Shingo Kunieda of Japan, 6-3, 7-5, to lift the men’s singles trophy.

It was Hewett’s second straight US Open final, and his second career singles Grand Slam title after winning Roland Garros in 2017.

Hewett said his match with Kunieda “was back and forth every game.” But in the end, he came out on top, calling his latest win “a great confidence boost for the rest of the year.”

The title run had to be especially sweet for Hewett, who had problems getting to New York for the US Open, being forced to sleep on the floor at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

“People say maybe you should have this mayhem more often,” Hewett joked, then noted that he was sitting in a chair for 30 hours during the ordeal.

Fantastic four for de Groot

Although just 21 years old, Diede de Groot has established herself as the best in the world. She has now won four major titles, including the last two Wimbledons, as well as the Australian Open in January. At Roland Garros, she was a finalist.

The Dutchwoman continued her mastery of the women’s crown by defeating Japan’s Yui Kamiji 6-2, 6-3, in the women’s singles final.

Her winning started in doubles in New York after she teamed with Kamiji to beat two Dutch players, Marjolein Buis and Aniek Van Koot.

The complete review of the US Open can be found on the International Tennis Federation’s website.