Rome champion Hewett eyeing medal on World Team Cup senior debut

Rome champion Hewett eyeing medal on World Team Cup senior debut           

Alfie Hewett is eyeing World Team Cup gold for the second time in three years after Cantley’s 17-year-old wheelchair tennis star won his first ITF 2 Series men’s singles title on the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour and beat his latest world top 10 ranked opponent over the weekend in Rome.

Hewett won his second singles title of 2015 at the Internazionali d’Italia at Foro Italico as wheelchair tennis enjoyed its latest opportunity to share a high profile stage with the leading ATP World Tour and WTA Tour players.

Emerging victorious in the select field of eight players, world No. 1 junior Hewett came from a set down to beat home favourite Fabian Mazzei 3-6, 6-6-1, 6-3 and then defeated fellow Brit and second seed David Phillipson 7-6(2), 6-2 in the semi-finals.

Hewett sealed the title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Dutch world No. 9 Tom Egberink for his third career win against a senior world top 10 ranked opponent. Since last October he has beaten France’s current world No. 6 Nicolas Peifer and Takuya Miki of Japan among others, results that bode well for his next challenge of representing Great Britain in the men’s World Group at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup for the very first time.

“I played some great tennis in Rome and am very happy with the victory and beating another top 10 opponent,” said British men’s No. 4 Hewett, who has been rewarded with a rise of two places in this week’s world ranking to equal his career best of No. 17. He has also reached a career best doubles ranking of No. 12 after partnering Phillipson to finish runner-up in the men’s doubles in Rome.

“I am very grateful to the Tennis Foundation and UK Sport for all the ongoing support to help me achieve all that I’ve been able to, especially as we move further along the road to Rio 2016 and the beginning of the ranking qualification window,” he added.

Hewett has been selected by the Tennis Foundation to represent Great Britain alongside Gordon Reid, Marc McCarroll and Phillipson in the elite field of 12 nations in the men’s World Group at the World Team Cup, the wheelchair tennis equivalent of the Davis and Fed Cups. The week-long event begins on Monday.

This year’s event takes place in Antalya, Turkey, at the same venue where Hewett led Great Britain to victory in the junior event at the 2013 World Team Cup.

“I'm incredibly excited to have been selected to make my senior debut after such great memories from Antalya two years ago and then missing last year's event due to exams. We have a really strong squad and if we all play to our potential I believe we can certainly win the gold," said Hewett.