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Britain’s Alfie Hewett defeated Tokito Oda 6-3 6-1 to lift his maiden Australian Open men’s wheelchair singles title on Saturday.
World No 1 Hewett, a runner-up at Melbourne Park in 2021 and 2022, won his seventh Grand Slam singles title.
The success made it a golden two days for the Norfolk player, who also won the doubles title with British team-mate Gordon Reid on Friday.
Hewett was 3-1 down in the first set but won five games in a row to clinch it and then repeated the sequence in the second set, sealing the victory with an ace before sobbing with delight.
“It’s been a dream this time around,” Hewitt told Sky Sports News. “To finish the week with a first singles, a doubles title with Gordon and world number one ranking, it doesn’t get much better than that.
“There’s been a lot of heartbreak in Australia the last couple of years. Today was another opportunity to turn that around and maybe I was a little tight at the beginning but I managed to turn that around.
“I played well to manage the match and once I won that first set I relaxed a lot more and played my best tennis.”
Wimbledon is now the only singles title Hewett, who has 23 Grand Slam trophies overall, has not won.
“Of course I believe I can win it after the last years’ performances,” he said. “We’ll see when we get there what the mentality is like.”
Japan’s Shingo Kunieda retired on the eve of the tournament having amassed 28 Grand Slam singles titles – an all-time record – and 50 overall, as well as four Paralympic gold medals.
“It’s been on my mind with Shingo retiring, someone’s got to step up,” said Hewett. “I feel like, with my ability, that I can get close to his record. I’ve got age on my side, I’ve got the confidence, I’ve got the game style to back myself in every slam now.
“Obviously, you take it one at a time. But I would love the dominance. I would love to be a figurehead for this sport.”
Earlier, Dutch legend Diede de Groot extended her winning streak to nine consecutive Grand Slam titles when she overcame a slow start to beat Yui Kamiji 0-6 6-2 6-2 in the women’s wheelchair singles final.
It was de Groot’s fifth Australian Open title and 17th Grand Slam singles trophy overall.
In the quad singles final, second seed Sam Schroder beat fellow Dutchman and top-seeded Niels Vink 6-2 7-5 for his fourth Grand Slam title.
Third seed Alexander Blockx became the first Belgian boy to win an Australian Open singles title. He defeated American Learner Tien 6-1 2-6 7-6 (11-9).
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