Latest news with #AlfieHewett
BBC News
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Hewett and Reid into sixth-straight French Open final
British pair Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett reached the final of the French Open men's wheelchair doubles for the sixth straight top seeds beat Casey Ratzlaff of the USA and Japan's Takuya Miki 6-2 6-3 amid increasingly heavy rain at Roland ace from Reid sealed victory in Paris on the pair's second match will play either Tokito Oda of Japan and France's Stephane Houdet or the duo of Spaniard Daniel Caverzaschi and Argentine Gustavo Fernandez in the Reid and Engand's Hewett have won the past five titles at Roland claimed victory in an hour and 14 minutes amid a sea of umbrellas on court 12, with all the other outdoor courts being covered to protect against the rain. Following a first set which saw six breaks of serve - four of them by the British team - the second was much more straightforward for the perennial champions, in spite of the capped a slightly odd day for Reid and Hewett, which they started as opponents in the singles the second seed, triumphed 6-2 6-4. He will play fourth seed Fernandez in the singles Britain's Andy Lapthorne suffered double elimination in men's quad wheelchair events on Englishman's day started with a 6-4 6-4 defeat in the singles semi-final to top seed Niels Vink of the then suffered another last-four loss in the doubles as, along with Dutch partner Sam Schroder, he was beaten in the match tie-break by Ahmet Kaplan of Turkey and South Africa's Donald Ramphadi, losing 6-3 2-6 and Schroder, the second seeds, fought back from losing the first set by winning the second in 35 minutes, and were ahead in the first-to-10 shootout decider before suffering defeat against their unseeded opponents.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Reid & Hewett begin French Open defence with win
French Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app British wheelchair doubles pair Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid progressed to the semi-finals of the French Open as they began their pursuit of a sixth consecutive title at Roland duo beat Chile's Alexander Cataldo and Israel's Sergei Lysov 6-1 4-6 [10-4].Meanwhile, fellow Briton Andy Lapthorne beat Canada's Robert Shaw 7-5 7-5 in the men's quad wheelchair 34, has never won a singles title on the French clay, with his most recent Grand Slam final coming in Paris in will face Dutch top seed Niels Vink in the last seeds Hewett and Reid are scheduled to face each other in the semi-finals of the singles draw after they began their campaigns with dominant has won the French major three times, most recently in 2021, while Reid is a two-time pair are five-time defending doubles champions in Paris and will face Japan's Takuya Miki and American Casey Ratzlaff in the semis.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
GB's Hewett sets up second-round meeting with Reid
French Open 2025Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland GarrosCoverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app Great Britain's Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid will face each other in the second round of the French Open wheelchair singles after they began their campaigns with dominant seed Hewett needed just 57 minutes to beat Chile's Alexander Cataldo 6-1 6-0, while Reid beat French wildcard Nicolas Charrier 6-0 pair are long-time doubles partners and are the five-time defending champions in Hewett has won the pair's past six singles Grand Slam matches, including a 6-0 6-4 victory in the quarter-finals of last year's French has won the French Open title three times, most recently in 2021, while Reid is a two-time number two Hewett is currently in fine form and has won the each of the past four Slam titles available to him, including the doubles and singles titles at last year's Wimbledon and this year's Australian Open.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Gordon Reid on more grand slams and Wimbledon's centre court
Despite the toll globetrotting for the entirety of his adult life has taken, and the dimming of his motivation that could so easily have come when his grand slam title count reached the high twenties, Reid asserts he's as driven as he's ever been, possibly even more-so. At the age of 33, and having established himself as one of the most decorated tennis players in the history of the game, the Glaswegian is showing no signs of slowing down and Reid goes into the French Open wheelchair tournament, which begins at Roland Garros today, with little doubt as to his goals. 'I've always been someone who goes into every tournament looking to win the singles and the doubles. I feel like if I'm not going there to try and win then what's the point in being there at all?,' he says 'So winning the tournament is always the target, this week and every other week.' It's unsurprising that Reid has reached a point in his career at which anything less than victory feels like failure. Having contracted a rare neurological condition called transverse myelitis at the age of 12, which left him paralysed from the waist down, Reid tried his hand at wheelchair tennis. The success he's achieved since first his first taste of the sport at Scotstoun Leisure Centre in Glasgow has been nothing short of astonishing. His maiden major title came in doubles in 2015, at the French Open, with that victory opening the floodgates. Two grand slam singles titles, as well as Paralympic gold, all in 2016, are impressive in themselves but it's in doubles that Reid has become something of a legend of wheelchair tennis. To date, he has claimed 26 grand slam doubles titles, 22 of which have been alongside Englishman Alfie Hewett, as well as Paralympic doubles gold, which they won last summer to complete the 'Golden Grand Slam'. The duo's dominance - they've won 17 of the last 20 grand slam doubles events, including the Australian Open earlier this year - has, unsurprisingly, given the pair an aura of invincibility but such a record also brings with it considerable pressure. As Reid prepares to begin his French Open campaign at Roland Garros today, he acknowledges the pressure upon his shoulders but his experience, as well as a naturally laid-back personality, ensures he is confident he will be unaffected by the target on his back, particularly when he teams up with Hewett. 'I'm feeling good - I'm just off the back of a couple of tournaments in Europe on the clay and I feel like I've been playing well so I'm feeling positive heading into Paris,' he says. 'From a doubles perspective, we're big favourites to win the title and I guess that puts pressure on us but we have to look at that as a good thing because it's as a result of doing well that people expect us to win. If nobody expects you to win then yes, you might feel a bit more freedom, but it also means you don't have the confidence that we have. 'And anyway, there's no one who puts more pressure on us than ourselves.' Gordon Reid (R) won his 28th grand slam title in Australia earlier this year, alongside Alfie Hewett (L) (Image: Getty Images) As Reid prepares to turn 34 later this year, he knows he's nearer to the end of his career than the beginning. But having relocated from his home city of Glasgow to the National Tennis Centre in London a year ago, Reid believes the move has both helped his game, and has been a major factor in ensuring he remains as driven as ever as he targets 30 grand slam titles and beyond. And despite having reached the very top of his sport - he's been world number one in both singles and doubles - he's confident he can still improve as a player before he hangs up his racquet. 'Moving to London was a big change but I wanted a fresh start,' he says. 'However many years of my career I have left, I want to give it absolutely everything. I definitely have felt re-energised sine moving to London and that's helped with my motivation, which I'd say is higher than ever at the moment. 'I still love playing tennis and being able to do this as a job is amazing. The competition side of it, and all the emotions you get when you compete, is great. I know when athletes retire that's often what they say they miss the most so I'm just trying to enjoy that for as long as I have left.' Reid's primary target is, of course, this week's French Open but it's a quick turnaround from the clay of Roland Garros onto the grass of Wimbledon later this month. It is, in large part, the platform the All England Tennis Club has given wheelchair tennis that's helped grow its profile quite considerably in recent years and Reid is eternally grateful for the opportunity he and his peers have been given to showcase their sport. There is, however, one remaining goal that Reid would love to achieve before he hangs up his racquet and he's surely edging closer to fulfilling it. 'This week, my focus is entirely on the French but grass is my favourite time of year so I'm looking forward to getting to Wimbledon,' he says. 'The Grand Slams have played a huge part in raising the profile of wheelchair tennis because of the exposure they've given us, and especially at Wimbledon. 'Jamie Baker (Wimbledon tournament director) has played a massive role in helping wheelchair tennis grow in this country. He's seen that we can add value to the event and the scenes on Court One during some of my matches over the last few years have been amazing. 'Giving us a platform is good for the players, it's good for the spectators, it's good for the tournament and it's good for the sport and it shows that we do bring entertainment and value to these events and it's not a charity thing. 'It's an incredible atmosphere at Wimbledon and so it's always a tournament I look forward to. 'I'm still holding my breath for the opportunity to play on Centre Court, though - hopefully before I end my career, I'll have that chance.'
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Furious neighbours blast school over 'unbearable' tennis courts being used by students to launch raids on their gardens
As the birthplace of Alfie Hewett, the winner of no fewer than 32 wheelchair grand slam titles, you might imagine Norwich would have a natural affinity for tennis. But three years after a decision to replace grass courts in a city park with an all-weather surface prompted uproar, tennis is once again at the heart of an improbable local dispute. The commotion on this occasion centres around five all-weather courts at City of Norwich school that, having been in place for many years, were upgraded in 2021 with the help of funding from the National Tennis Association. Available for use by the local community as well as students of the Ormiston academy school, the courts are equipped with floodlights and can also be used for netball and basketball. But a bitter dispute has broken out between the school and neighbouring residents, who have objected that the facilities are a source of 'unbearable' noise, glaring light and antisocial behaviour. One local said a schoolboy had broken into his shed and hidden in the bushes to skip classes, while another claimed their hedge had been 'smashed' down. Community access to the courts is currently restricted to 4.30pm to 7pm on weekdays, and 9am to 1pm at weekends. But plans to make the courts available until 8.30pm on weekdays, 5pm on Saturdays and noon on Sundays have been greeted with dismay by local residents, several of whom claim the floodlights shine directly into their homes. Paul Donnechie, a retired street lighting manager who believes the lights should have been fitted with shields to redirect glare away from local properties, claims the school has been reluctant to address the issue. 'They just refuse to fit shields unless the council forces them,' he said. 'The council claimed this wasn't explicitly required under planning conditions, but the design still had to follow lighting engineering guidelines, which say shields should be used to reduce nuisance light. 'Other tennis courts in Norwich have them - why not these?' Yet the school points out that it acted swiftly to reposition the lights after they were recently found to be higher than permitted under planning conditions, and has twice held consultation events with locals to gather feedback about the proposed changes. 'We take our commitment to compliance extremely seriously,' said a school spokesperson. 'As soon as the trust were made aware that the columns for the lights were mistakenly installed at the wrong height, they acted immediately to have this corrected, and the structure is fully in line with the planning permission.' The school is also looking into the installation of an acoustic fence to allay concerns about noise, but residents remain unhappy. 'You've got instructors yelling, whistles going, balls bouncing off fences,' said Keith Philpot, a 52-year-old business consultant whose property backs directly on to the courts. 'It's not just tennis - it's basketball, netball, five-a-side.' Mr Philpot added that some pupils have even broken into his garden shed and hidden in the bushes to skip classes. The school counters that it has 'robust policies' in place to ensure the facilities are used appropriately, and points out that the courts have benefited not only pupils but also the wider community. 'Our tennis courts are an important part of the diverse range of outdoor facilities we offer as a school, alongside a large playing field and numerous recreational spaces,' the school spokesperson added. 'They are also open for the local community to use and benefit from, and we're pleased by the strong demand, which demonstrates the positive impact they have had since opening. 'Due to this growing demand, and in partnership with the National Tennis Association, our trust is working to expand community access to the courts outside school hours. 'We have, together with the trust, held two consultation events with residents to discuss the proposed changes and gather feedback. 'As part of this work, we have commissioned a technical noise assessment and are proposing an acoustic fence, in line with our commitment to environmental standards and community wellbeing.' For Shirley and Bob Hocking, who live next door to the school, such measures cannot be introduced soon enough. 'The language is appalling, the noise is constant, and the lights shine right into our kitchen,' said Mrs Hocking, 76. 'It's also very intimidating.' Mr Hocking, 82, said damage to his hedge had left him ruing a decision to remove the barbed wire he found on his fence after first moving into the couple's home. 'They play some sort of hide and seek game, and they literally smash their way in through the hedge, smashing everything down,' he said of the students. 'They break the fence and throw things over it. 'When we moved in, there was barbed wire on the fence and we couldn't understand why, so we removed it. But we soon found out.' Neighbours have also expressed frustration over what they describe as a 'wall of silence' from the school's leadership. They claim emails and calls have gone unanswered, and attempts to contact governors have been blocked. 'Governors and the Ormiston academy leaders are like ghosts, untraceable, invisible and unreachable,' said Mr Philpot. 'Instead, like the school, they hide behind the processes of Norwich City Council over any action they are willing to take.' The school replied promptly to a request for comment, however, and insists it has made every effort to ensure high standards are maintained. 'We have robust policies in place across our school and through our letting agreements which ensure that the facilities are treated respectfully and appropriately by pupils and community members, as we seek to uphold the highest standards for our school community,' said the spokesperson. A recent planning application to extend the court usage drew 34 formal objections and just eight letters of support. Planning officers nonetheless recommended approval of the application, although the decision was deferred until May 8 after a threat of legal action over lack of adequate notice. In that respect, the episode echoes the furore that accompanied the replacement of 10 grass tennis courts with three all-weather courts in Heighham Park three summers ago. Campaigners unhappy about the removal of the city's only grass courts used crowdfunding to enlist the services of a lawyer, who accused the city council of a lack of transparency over the development. Now the council is once again under fire. 'If the school doesn't care about its reputation within the local community, and the city council is complicit in following their processes, then the wider people of Norwich deserve to know what is happening and how easy it is for their daily lives to be ruined,' said Mr Philpot. 'I am fed up with the school leadership in its lack of care over the impact the tennis courts have had on the quality of its neighbours' lives. 'I find it shameful that governance within our education system is so weak that leaders are allowed to not engage, ignore and disregard the repeated concerns expressed to them and not to take the simple steps to safeguard their pupils and community.' As the controversy rages on, Norwich may have to wait a while for the emergence of its next notable champion.
