Hewett and Reid Reach US Open Quarter-Finals, Lapthorne Falls
Alfie Hewett wasted no time in issuing a statement in New York. The four-time US Open champion tore through Daniel Caverzaschi 6-0 6-2 on Wednesday, dropping just two games and barely a bead of sweat as he booked his place in the men’s wheelchair singles quarter-finals.
This was Hewett in ruthless, business-mode. The second seed pinned the Spaniard behind the baseline, dictating with heavy, accurate groundstrokes and offering almost nothing on serve. The first set flashed by in a blur of winners and rushed errors from Caverzaschi, who never found a foothold. By the time the underdog finally got on the board, the match already felt gone.
Next comes a different kind of test. Hewett will face American Casey Ratzlaff for a place in the semi-finals, a clash that will bring home support firmly into the equation. On this form, though, the Briton walks into that encounter as the man to beat.
Reid digs deep in three-set battle
If Hewett’s progress was clinical, Gordon Reid’s was a grind. The Scot was dragged into a two-hour, 13-minute battle by French veteran Stephane Houdet before prevailing 6-3 5-7 6-2.
Reid looked in control after taking the opening set, using his court craft to move Houdet around and exposing the space with clever angles. The second set told a different story. Houdet, one of the sport’s great competitors, tightened his game, extended the rallies and forced Reid into just enough errors to steal it 7-5 and level the match.
The response was emphatic. Reid reset, raised his intensity and broke early in the decider. From there he pressed home the advantage, reading Houdet’s patterns and closing out the third set 6-2 to secure his spot in the last eight.
Waiting for him is the toughest assignment in the sport right now: defending champion and top seed Tokito Oda. The Japanese star has strung together six consecutive Grand Slam singles titles and carries an aura of inevitability into every major. Reid will need every ounce of experience and resilience he showed on Wednesday – and more.
Doubles dynasty still alive
Hewett and Reid are not just singles contenders in New York; they are chasing history together. The British pair are hunting a sixth US Open wheelchair doubles crown, a run of dominance that has defined an era.
They cleared their opening hurdle on Tuesday to move into the last four, where the challenge ramps up again. Across the net will be Oda and Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez, a partnership loaded with firepower and pedigree. It has the feel of a heavyweight semi-final, even by their lofty standards.
Mixed fortunes in the quad draw
While the men’s wheelchair singles produced a strong day for Britain, the quad singles told a harsher story.
Andy Lapthorne ran into the full force of top seed Niels Vink and could not blunt the Dutchman’s authority, losing 6-2 6-1. Vink controlled the tempo and the scoreboard from the outset, denying Lapthorne any sustained momentum.
Greg Slade also bowed out in the opening round, beaten 6-4 6-2 by Argentina’s Gonzalo Lazarte. Slade stayed close in patches, especially in the first set, but Lazarte’s consistency and depth gradually pulled the match away from him.
Lapthorne’s tournament is not over yet. He remains alive in the quad doubles, where he has teamed up with South African Leon Els to reach the semi-finals. With the singles door closed, his New York campaign now hangs on that doubles run – and on whether he and Els can turn that opportunity into something more substantial.
