Wheelchair Tennis: Reid and Caverzaschi in control
The Briton and the Spaniard booked their spots in the semifinals after solid wins over Stéphane Houdet and Frédéric Cattaneo.
"I never really felt like I could take the lead. I made too many errors early on, and in the tie-break, I gave away two points that cost me dearly. But credit to him, he was the better player today."
Always clear-eyed in his analysis, Stéphane Houdet acknowledged his opponent’s superiority after their quarterfinal clash on Court 2 at Paris La Defense Arena. Still, the French No. 1 forgot to mention that he had gone toe-to-toe with Gordon Reid (World No. 5) throughout the opening set, even saving four set points at 4-5 before forcing a tie-break.
That pivotal moment ultimately went the Briton’s way, who carried his momentum into a dominant second set to close out a 7-6(3), 6-1 victory in 1h29. The win will no doubt boost his confidence ahead of a semifinal showdown with Gustavo Fernandez, in a rematch of their recent Manacor final, won by Reid after the Argentinian was forced to retire late in the second set.
"It’s amazing to be here. The organization has been perfect for us players from the moment we arrived," said Reid. "Having wheelchair tennis events held within such a major ATP tournament is hugely important for our sport […] I’ve played Gustavo many times, we know each other very well. It’s always a tough battle because he’s such a fighter. Unfortunately, he had to retire during our final in Spain, but I hope we can put on a great match this Saturday."
Caverzaschi imperious
If Reid’s display was impressive, Daniel Caverzaschi’s performance was nothing short of flawless. The Spaniard delivered a masterclass to defeat wildcard Frédéric Cattaneo, not dropping a single game en route to the semifinals of the Paris event (6-0, 6-0 in just 42 minutes).
The top-class scoreline even surprised Caverzaschi himself, who had faced an unexpected challenge upon his arrival in the French capital.
"I was a bit worried because my chair didn’t arrive yesterday," he explained. "It was a stressful 24 hours before the match, and I couldn’t practice at all. The new venue is fantastic, but I was in a bit of a rush, I had to adapt quickly to the surface and the court. I’m really happy and proud of how I handled it. I kept things simple, stayed focused and solid from start to finish, and it paid off. Fred didn’t play his best match, but I’m glad to be through to the semifinals."
A flawless debut performance that he’ll now look to build on when he faces a formidable opponent he’s never beaten in official competition: World No. 1 Alfie Hewett.