Britain's Peter Norfolk will bid for his fifth Australian Open quad singles wheelchair tennis title on Saturday after beating American world No 4 Nick Taylor 6-3, 6-0 today in his third round-robin match at Melbourne Park.
Norfolk, currently world ranked No 2, will play American world No 1 David Wagner in Saturday's final after Wagner defeated Norfolk's fellow Briton Andrew Lapthorne 6-3, 6-3 to end the round-robin phase of the competition unbeaten. Lapthorne held a slender 3-2 lead in the second set, but Wagner's experience finally won the day.
Norfolk and Taylor split the first four games of their match before Norfolk gained the first service break to move 3-2 ahead. Taylor won just one more game as Norfolk closed out the opening set on his first set point and the Hampshire player then dropped just one point in Taylor's three service games in the second set to complete victory in 49 minutes, having served seven aces and won more than twice as many points as Taylor during the match.
With just eight points separating Norfolk and Wagner at the top of the world quad singles rankings before the Australian Open, Norfolk will now bid to reverse Thursday's three set loss to Wagner in Melbourne when they meet for the second time this week in Saturday's final.
"It was a solid win on a bouncy, windy and hot court today," said Norfolk.
"I am really happy to be going into another Australian Open final on the Margaret Court Arena. We start at 1.00pm, so I am expecting a hot day, but will be out to avenge my round robin defeat."
Norfolk already has one title to his name this week after he and Lapthorne, who is making his Grand Slam tournament debut, beat the Americans 6-3, 6-3 in Thursday's quad doubles final. It was Norfolk's first Grand Slam doubles title and the first Grand Slam wheelchair tennis doubles title for an all-British pairing.
Image - Peter Norfolk by Getty Images
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