Vink and Schroder to meet in all-Dutch quad singles final
Ever since the introduction of the quad wheelchair singles event at Roland Garros in 2019, the title has remained the domain of just one man – all-time great Dylan Alcott won the first three editions of this tournament, dropping only one set across his three appearances here.
But now, with Alcott having headed into retirement following the Australian Open in January, the quad field will have the opportunity to claim Grand Slam silverware on a more regular basis. And so it is that the world’s top two players, Niels Vink and Sam Schroder, will do battle for the first Grand Slam title of the post-Alcott era here on Saturday.
“If I could sign for his career, I would definitely do it,” Vink laughed after his 6-3 6-1 semifinal victory over Australia’s Heath Davidson on Friday, before turning his attention to more immediate matters.
“It would be a dream [to win the final],” he continued. “I'm number one without a Slam [title]. Since I was a kid, it was my dream to win a Slam. And maybe it could happen tomorrow.”
Vink will certainly start as the favourite for the final, having won all three title matches he has contested against Schroder so far this season. But Schroder, who, at 22, is three years’ Vink’s senior, has two Grand Slam titles to his name already – both of which were against-the-odds victories over Alcott, including at the Australian Open this year.
“It's always going to be a great match-up between the two of us,” Schroder answered when asked about his opponent in the title match. “We're both playing at a very high level, very competitive. So it's going to be a lot of long rallies and good points.”
Schroder’s 6-3 6-3 semifinal victory against David Wagner looked to be perfect preparation in that regard, with the Dutchman overcoming a typically gritty display from Wagner to advance to the final for the second time – Schroder fell to Alcott in the final here in straight sets in 2021.
Whoever comes out on top this year, a win for the Netherlands is guaranteed. And with Schroder’s previous Grand Slam successes coming far from home, he is hoping that Dutch fans will have an easier time watching this final.
“I’ve won the US Open, I’ve won the Australian Open, but being in Europe is different, you know,” he said. “I hope that a lot of Dutch people will see the match tomorrow. And hopefully we can make them proud.”
Saturday’s winner will claim his second trophy of the week, after Vink and Schroder teamed up to defeat Davidson and Ymanitu Silva 6-2 6-2 in the quad doubles final on Friday.
Elsewhere on a rainy day in Paris, Diede de Groot produced a typically dominant performance to book her place in the women’s wheelchair singles final with a 6-0 6-0 win against Kgothatso Montjane. She will face Yui Kamiji, who defeated Aniek van Koot 6-2 6-3 in the other semi-final. That match-up is scheduled first on Court Philippe Chatrier on Saturday.
The four singles semi-finalists will also contest the women’s doubles final. De Groot and Van Koot defeated Zhu Zhenzhen and Momoko Ohtani, and Kamiji and Montjane overcame Macarena Cabrillana and Emmanuelle Morch in rain-affected semi-finals on Friday.
In the men’s doubles, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid will aim to win a 10th consecutive Grand Slam title together, after the pair defeated Daniel Caverzaschi and Martin de la Puente in a match tiebreak in the semi-finals.
The Brits will face singles finalists Gustavo Fernandez and Shingo Kunieda in the men’s doubles final. The pair joined forces again on Friday to defeat the French team of Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer in the semi-final – a 7-6(0) 6-1 victory in the first Roland Garros wheelchair match ever to be played on Chatrier.