Alfie Hewett beats Tokito Oda in final and likens rivalry to Federer and Nadal’s Alfie Hewett likened his rivalry with Tokito Oda to that of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal after finally getting the better of the Japanese 18-year-old.
Hewett was world number one when Oda burst onto the scene, and trying to solve the puzzle of beating the new kid on the block has been a frustrating but satisfying one for 27-year-old Hewett.
Since beating the teenager in the final here two years ago, Hewett had lost to Oda in three slam finals and the battle for the Paralympic gold medal in Paris last summer.
Hewett was unable to hold back tears after defeating Oda 6-4 6-4 in the men’s wheelchair final at the Australian Open to win his 10th grand slam singles title and 32nd overall.
“I didn’t expect me to start blubbering on the court, to be honest, but I’m probably harbouring a few feelings from the last couple of matches that we’ve played,” said Hewett, who won a sixth consecutive doubles title in Melbourne on Friday with Gordon Reid.
