Alfie Hewett from Britain secured a place in the men’s wheelchair singles final at the Australian Open, defeating Joachim Gerard of Belgium with a score of 6-4, 6-1. However, his compatriot Gordon Reid faced disappointment as he lost to Japan’s Tokito Oda, with a scoreline of 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 in Melbourne. Despite Reid’s singles setback, both Britons are set to play against Japanese pair Daisuke Arai and Takashi Sanada in the doubles event later on the same day, aiming for a spot in the finals.
Hewett, the defending champion and an eight-time Grand Slam singles winner, overcame an early service loss in the opening game but rebounded strongly, breaking Gerard twice to claim the first set. The second set saw Hewett dominating, securing a double break and a 5-0 lead before ultimately winning the match.
On the other hand, Reid faced a closely contested match against the 17-year-old Oda, with a tie-break needed to decide the first set. Despite Reid’s efforts to recover, Oda secured a crucial break in the second set, ultimately winning the match and setting up a final clash with Hewett. Oda and Hewett had faced each other in the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon in 2023, with Oda emerging victorious, but Hewett avenged the loss in the Australian Open final last year.
