Hewett and Reid Reach US Open Quarter-Finals
Alfie Hewett barely broke sweat. Gordon Reid had to dig deep. Between them, Britain’s leading wheelchair duo found two very different routes into the US Open men’s singles quarter-finals on a busy day in New York.
Hewett in cruise control
On Louis Armstrong’s outer courts, the number two seed delivered the kind of statement win that has become routine in this city. Hewett, already a four-time US Open champion, dismantled Spain’s Daniel Caverzaschi 6-0 6-2, dropping just two games in a one-sided contest.
His serve bit, his returns pinned Caverzaschi back, and the rallies rarely lasted long enough to offer the Spaniard any kind of foothold. The gulf in class showed. Hewett rattled through the opening set without concession, then swatted away the brief resistance that came early in the second.
Next up is American Casey Ratzlaff and a very different atmosphere. A home favourite, a Grand Slam quarter-final, and the New York crowd likely to lean hard into the underdog story. Hewett has seen it all before here, and usually walks away with the trophy.
Reid goes the distance
Reid’s path could hardly have contrasted more. The Scot was dragged into a gruelling three-setter by French veteran Stephane Houdet before prevailing 6-3 5-7 6-2 in two hours and 13 minutes.
He controlled the first set with smart court positioning and heavy, accurate groundstrokes, only for Houdet to claw his way back. The second set slipped from Reid’s grasp at the key moments, the Frenchman forcing a decider and asking serious questions of the Briton’s legs and nerve.
Reid answered them. He reset, tightened up his game and surged clear in the third, breaking early and never loosening his grip. By the closing stages, it was Houdet chasing shadows.
The reward is brutal: a quarter-final against defending champion and top seed Tokito Oda. The Japanese star has strung together six consecutive Grand Slam singles titles and currently sets the standard in the sport. Reid will need every ounce of his experience and resilience to halt that run.
Doubles dynasty still alive
Together, Hewett and Reid are chasing yet another slice of history. The pair, already five-time US Open wheelchair doubles champions, opened their title defence with a win on Tuesday and are back in the last four.
Waiting for them there is a heavyweight semi-final against Oda again, this time alongside Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez. It is the kind of matchup that often decides more than just one title – it shapes the balance of power for the season to come.
Mixed fortunes in the quad draw
For Britain’s quad players, the day cut a sharper edge.
Andy Lapthorne ran into the top seed and a brick wall in the form of Niels Vink. The Dutchman, the dominant force in the quad game, rolled to a 6-2 6-1 victory, shutting down Lapthorne’s ambitions in singles at the first hurdle.
Greg Slade also bowed out in round one, beaten 6-4 6-2 by Argentina’s Gonzalo Lazarte. Slade had his moments, especially in a tight opening set, but couldn’t sustain pressure long enough to turn the match.
Lapthorne’s tournament is not over, though. He remains alive in the quad doubles draw and has already booked a place in the semi-finals alongside South African partner Leon Els. With singles hopes gone, all his energy now funnels into that campaign.
As Hewett and Reid drive on in both singles and doubles, and Lapthorne turns fully towards his team bid, Britain’s wheelchair contingent still has real skin in the game in New York. The question now is simple: can this familiar group turn deep runs into silverware once again?
