Dylan Alcott Wins Third Consecutive Aussie Open

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Reigning Newcombe medallist Dylan Alcott has taken out the Australian Open quad wheelchair title for a third straight year, winning the final in straight sets.

The Australian needed just an hour and nine minutes to see off British rival Andy Lapthorne 6-2, 6-2 at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

It is the latest accomplishment in a glittering stretch for the top-seeded Alcott, who took out the 2015 US Open quad wheelchair title and won gold medals in the men's quad singles and doubles at last year's Rio Paralympics.

Alcott became the first wheelchair star to win the Newcombe Medal, the highest accolade in Australian tennis, in November.

He had previously won Paralympic gold in wheelchair basketball in 2008.

Saturday's final at Rod Laver Arena was the first wheelchair tennis match to be played on centre court at a major.

Alcott said he hoped to see wheelchair tennis added to Wimbledon and the French Open in the future.

"The standard of our tennis back in the day wasn't high enough but you can't tell me that wasn't high enough," he said.

"We are changing perceptions of disability together ... you couldn't play this match on court seven because you're about 4,000 seats short."

- AAP

28 January 2017




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