Wheelchair tennis: Day eight preview

It’s an all-British affair in the men’s singles wheelchair tennis final on Friday (16 September) afternoon when Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett clash in a mouth-watering clash.

Just three months ago the duo won the Wimbledon wheelchair men's doubles title.

But on Friday they will compete against each other in a bid to become Great Britain’s first ever men’s singles wheelchair tennis gold medallist.

Before them, the men’s world number one and two will battle it out for bronze in the bronze medal match. Stephane Houdet and Joachim Gerard, who no one would have predicted to be playing it out for third place, will play the first match on Centre Court.

Houdet will be looking to add singles bronze to his London 2012 silver medal, while Gerard, who has rocketed up the rankings, is aiming for his first medal in three Paralympic Games.

It is an all-Dutch final for third successive Paralympic Games in the women’s doubles competition. London 2012 silver medallists Aniek van Koot and Jiske Griffioen will face Marjolein Buis and Diede de Groot in the penultimate game on Centre Court.

Then, in the final wheelchair tennis action of Rio 2016 Paralympics, all eyes will focus on Reid and Hewett.

Third seed Reid beat seeds one, five and 14 to reach the final, while Hewett, seeded 13th, beat the second, seventh and fourth seeds, plus a wildcard entry.

The pair, who took silver on Thursday (15 September) evening in the doubles, also come into the gold medal match on the back of brilliant individual years.

Reid won his first singles Grand Slam in January at the Australian Open before winning his second at Wimbledon. The 24-year-old also won the doubles Grand Slam alongside Hewett.

Four years ago Hewett was rising through the junior ranks. He has since enjoyed a remarkable rise.

A win at the Korean Open was backed up with Wimbledon glory with Reid, but the journey could take one final leap when the gold medal match gets underway.