Alfie Hewett has been banging the drum for British wheelchair tennis with almost the same frequency as he wins grand slam titles. The winner of 20 singles and doubles crowns believes his sport deserves its moment in the sun and on Friday, finally, he showed 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 to make his first Wimbledon singles final. He came back after staring defeat in the face, two breaks down at 5-1 in the second set. What is 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.
