Yui Kamiji of Japan and Australia’s Dylan Alcott won the women’s singles and quad singles titles on the penultimate day of the 25th British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships.
Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Gordon Reid and Shingo Kunieda of Japan reached Sunday’s men’s singles final at the Super Series event at Nottingham Tennis Centre.
World No.1 Kamiji claimed her first British Open title after beating Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, with the Dutch world No. 2 finishing runner-up in Nottingham for the second successive year.
“This is my second time in Nottingham and I’m really very happy to win this title after being beaten in the second round in 2012,” said Kamiji. “The first set went really well for me, but in the second set there were more high balls and slower balls, which I don’t like, but the third set was faster and I was able to use more power.”
As heavy rain forced the day’s competition indoors, world No. 4 Alcott sealed his first Super Series title as he denied Britain’s world No. 3 Andy Lapthorne a victory on home soil after winning the quad singles final 7-5, 6-1.
“He played unbelievably well early on, but once I started getting my serve in I felt a lot more comfortable and I’m absolutely stoked to win my first Super Series,” said Alcott, who came back from 5-3 down in the opening set to clinch victory.
Lapthorne said: “After the highs of beating the world No.1 David Wagner yesterday I really wanted to win my home Super Series title today, but Dylan played well and I was just beaten by the better player on the day.”
In the men’s singles, World No. 3 Reid produced a tremendous performance as he secured his fourth career win over French world No. 2 Stephane Houdet with a 6-1, 6-3 victory to reach his second British Open final and keep himself on track in his bid for a second Super Series title this season. Reid will now play world No. 1 Kunieda in Sunday’s final in a rematch of the 2012 decider in Nottingham.
“I’m very happy with my performance level today to beat Stephane for the first time this season and so convincingly,” said 22-year-old Reid, who won his first Super Series title in Sydney in January this year, beating Kunieda in the semi-finals.
“I’m a different player to the one I was two years ago. I’ve beaten him (Kunieda) three times since 2012 and I know I can beat him. If I play the way I did today then there is no reason I can’t take home the trophy.”
Kunieda came from behind to win his semi-final against Argentina’s world Nio.4 Gustavo Fernandez 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3.
The men’s doubles title was won by top seeds Joachim Gerard of Belgium and Maikel Scheffers of the Netherlands, who recovered from a set down to defeat fourth seeds Fernandez and Nicolas Peifer of France 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.
There will be another Brit in a final on Sunday after Jamie Burdekin partnered Wagner to win their quad doubles semi-final against American duo David Buck and Greg Hasterok 6-0, 6-1. The second seeds will play Alcott and South Africa’s Lucas Sithole in Sunday’s final after fourth seeds’ 6-3, 7-5 win over British top seeds Antony Cotterill and Lapthorne.
For the second successive year top seeds Jordanne Whiley and Marc McCarroll lifted the mixed doubles title after a 6-1, 6-3 victory over fellow Brits Dermot Bailey and Luz Esperanza Merry.
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