Wheelchair tennis: Hewett unbeatable

A showcase of power, precision and control. That's what the spectators gathered around court 2 witnessed on Sunday morning as the men's wheelchair singles final delivered a masterclass from the defending champion. Fully aware of Gustavo Fernandez's strengths heading into his second consecutive Rolex Paris Masters final, Alfie Hewett arrived with a clear game plan and executed it to perfection. "Guga is a powerful player who strikes the ball very hard and very flat," Hewett had said following his semi-final victory. I'll need to serve really well and be fully committed on the return if I want to stop him from taking control of the rallies."

Sharp from the opening exchanges, Hewett immediately applied pressure and raced into a 3-0 lead. It was the ideal start, and one he quickly converted into a one-set advantage, sealing the opener 6-2 in just 28 minutes. The Argentine's lone break of serve in the set, compared with three secured by Hewett, proved little more than a brief warning sign for the defending champion, who then reeled off four consecutive love service games stretching from the end of the first set into the beginning of the second.

The depth, weight and consistency of Hewett's groundstrokes deprived Fernandez of both time and options. Unable to make headway on return and constantly under pressure behind his own serve, the Argentine delayed the inevitable admirably before surrendering another break at 2-2 in the second set. To his credit, Fernandez mounted one final resistance, saving two championship points on serve. But the third proved one too many. Hewett closed out a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory in just 57 minutes.

Focused, determined and imperious from first ball to last, the Briton was simply untouchable on Sunday. Unsurprisingly, he was delighted to complete back-to-back titles in Paris just days before heading to Barcelona for next week's season-ending Finals.

"I'm obviously very happy. It's a real privilege to be part of an event like this," the two-time champion said with a smile.

"It's an incredible tournament, one of the very best on the circuit. It means a lot to me to come back here and win another title.

"We go again next week, but I love that. It's probably the best possible preparation for the Masters."

As for Fernandez, who captured the doubles title alongside Gordon Reid on Saturday and enjoyed an outstanding week in the French capital, he has already promised to return next year in search of more success. We'll be looking forward to it.