Doubles delight for British quartet at US Open

Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid, Andy Lapthorne and Jordanne Whiley all emerged victorious from their wheelchair tennis doubles finals at the US Open in New York.

It was a fourth successive US Open men’s doubles title for Hewitt and Reid who defeated the French second seeds Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer 6-4, 6-1.

Lapthorne also emulated his compatriots’ achievement with a fourth successive quad doubles title of his own alongside Australian Dylan Alcott, as they saw off Dutchman Sam Schroder and David Wagner of the USA 3-6, 6-4, (10-8).

While it was a second successive Grand Slam championship for Whiley and Yui Kamiji of Japan, as the second seeds won in straight sets against the top-seeded Dutch pairing of Marjolein Buis and Diede de Groot 6-3, 6-3.

For Hewett and Reid, the world’s top two ranked doubles players ever since winning their first Australian Open title together in January, there pair were as efficient as ever when faced with the decisive points.

From trailing 3-2 in the opening set, the British pair fought back to a winning position to take the opening set 6-4, requiring just one of their three set points, before storming through the second set in a 5-0 lead, eventually winning the match with their first Championship point.

This victory represents an eight Grand Slam title for Hewett and Reid and extends their five-tournament unbeaten run this season.

Lapthorne and Alcott, the inaugural Wimbledon quad doubles champions in 2019 before winning their first US Open title together 12 months ago, had to come from behind before retaining their crown over Schroder and Wagner.

Schroder and Wagner gained momentum midway through the opening set to take the lead. However, Lapthorne and Alcott opened up a 3-0 second-set lead and although they missed chances to convert game points that would have given them a 5-1 lead, Lapthorne ultimately scrambled a drop shot over the net on set point to force a deciding match tie-break.

After a series of tense exchanges, Lapthorne and Alcott earned three match points and they needed all three before Alcott wrapped up their successful title defence with an ace.

Meanwhile, Whiley wrapped up a successful weekend claiming her 11th Grand Slam title alongside regular partner Kamiji with a straight-sets win against Buis and De Groot.

Despite falling a break down early in the second set to trail 3-1, Whiley and Kamiji regrouped to win five unanswered games and close out the match.

For Whiley it meant a second successive Grand Slam triumph since returning to the court after the birth of her son Jackson in January 2018, having also won the doubles title at the Australian Open in Melbourne earlier this year.