Hewett misses match point in fight for Paralympic gold

Less than 24 hours after winning a career Golden Slam in wheelchair tennis doubles with partner Gordon Reid, the world number one was back facing Philippe Chatrier for a singles duel with Japanese Tokito Oda.

After his historic victory at Wimbledon a few weeks ago, Hewett needed another gold medal to complete his set.

But he missed a match point in a three-set thriller and burst into tears after Oda won point after point to secure the title 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

However, Hewett should find solace in his supporting role in the most high-profile sporting event of these Paralympics – a truly world-class contest in front of an enthusiastic crowd at an iconic venue.

“Basically, what I will remember for a long time is that I am only one point away from gold,” said Hewett, who was cheered on by fans in Norwich jerseys on the Roland Garros show court.

“I missed gold by five to seven centimeters. It's pretty agonizing to be that close. I'm really glad I had the momentum at that point.

“I admit that it touched me. He saved a match point in the Paralympics final and didn't let that discourage him. He simply played his best tennis.

“I just felt like I lost control of the game after that and that's what I'm most disappointed about.

“But when you lose, you have to lose with your head held high. What we both achieved with this match for wheelchair tennis and the Paralympics is sometimes more important than a gold medal.”

“What we have achieved here will go down in the history of our sport, that’s what I told him at the end.”

A bitter rivalry develops between Oda and Hewett; this was their 16th fight and the head-to-head situation is now at a stalemate.

But the result does not reflect the history of a game that swung from the ridiculous to the sublime and back again.

Hewett looked confident here as he made his way through the rounds, but after taking a medical timeout early in the first set for a groin injury, he looked far from form. When he returned to the court, he grimaced after every shot, won just two points on his first serve and made a series of unforced errors when the match looked all but over.

However, a stunning comeback in the second set turned things around and Hewett had the chance to serve for gold, but on match point he hit a clever drop shot just a hair's breadth to the wrong side of the line.

In tennis, centimeters also seem to count and Oda took advantage of this as the Briton was cheated. It was his second defeat in the Paralympic final after losing to the Scotsman Gordon Reid in Tokyo.

“I'm made of tough stuff and I didn't want to give up because of the injury,” he stressed. “I felt a sharp pain during the warm-up and they think it might be a tear, so we'll see what happens.”

“It surprised me, but Tokito also played brilliantly in the first set. I felt like I was just having to fight too many battles, but then the adrenaline kicked in. I was able to channel my thoughts a little better and got back into the game.

“It's a very bittersweet feeling right now, but I've learned a lot about perspective. One day, when I retire, I think playing in this game will be one of the highlights of my career.”

Novak Djokovic competed in four Olympic Games before winning his singles Golden Slam, and Hewett, only 26 years old, already has plenty of experience.

“This will not spoil my joy at winning the gold medal with Gordon – we worked really hard for the gold medal and we will enjoy it,” he added.

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