- Briton wins thriller in men’s wheelchair semi-final
- Match moved to No 1 Court after Nadal withdrawal
Alfie Hewett has been banging the drum for British wheelchair tennis with almost the same frequency as he wins grand slam titles. The 20-time champion believes his sport deserves its moment in the sun and on Friday, finally, he got the chance to show a rapt Court One crowd what it was all about.
The 24-year-old beat Gustavo Fernández 2-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in the men’s semi-final in just over three hours of play. He came back after staring defeat in the face, two breaks down at 5-1 in the second set. What’s more he did it with the kind of play that is distinct to his form of the sport; every sinew constantly strained, every stroke conjured on the scramble and from compromised angles. That it was also a match marked – by both players – with moments of supreme skill only underlined Hewett’s argument that wheelchair tennis can please a crowd if given a chance.