Briton Gordon Reid dethrones defending champ Shingo Kunieda in wheelchair singles semis.
©Pauline Ballet / FFTBritain’s two-time Grand Slam winner Gordon Reid caused the shock of the wheelchair tournament at Roland-Garros on Friday by knocking out Japan’s seven-time singles champion and holder, Shingo Kunieda, in the semi-finals.
In the equivalent women’s event, though, there was no surprise as the top two seeds, Diede De Groot and Japan's Yui Kamiji both progressed from their semi-finals to set up a rematch of their Australian Open final clash, won by the Dutchwoman.
Scotsman Reid came from a set down to defeat the 35-year-old No.1 seed Kunieda 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 in a thrilling contest lasting two and three-quarter hours on Court 7.
He set up a final meeting on Saturday with Argentine No.2 seed Gustavo Fernandez, who beat Britain’s Alfie Hewett 6-1, 6-2 in the other semi and could now take another step closer towards a wheelchair singles ‘Grand Slam’ after winning the Australian Open crown in Melbourne.
> MEN'S WHEELCHAIR SINGLES DRAW
Fernandez is also in line for another double after he and Kunieda teamed up to beat Hewett and Reid 6-2, 7-5 in the men’s doubles to set up a final with the French top seeds Nicolas Peifer and Stephane Houdet, who outclassed Belgium’s Joachim Gerard and Sweden’s Stefan Olsson 6-2, 6-2.
©Nicolas Gouhier / FFTDe Groot, the women’s top seed, is also chasing the same landmark calendar Grand Slam as Fernandez after beating her compatriot Aniek Van Koot 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4. Her old rival Kamiji, though, prevented an all-Dutch final on Saturday by defeating Marjolein Buis 6-4, 7-5 in the other semi-final.
> QUAD WHEELCHAIR SINGLES MATCH
Australian Dylan Alcott, the five-times Australian Open champion and No.1 seed in the quad wheelchair singles, beat Brazilian Ymanitu Silva 6-1, 6-2 and will meet American David Wagner, the No.2 seed, who beat Japan’s Koji Sugeno 6-4, 6-0, in Saturday’s final.
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
