Reid stuns world No. 1 Kunieda in Australian Open

“That’s the best I have played in a singles match at a Slam and it was against the toughest opposition, so hopefully that’s the start of more to come and I can play like that again in more singles matches at Slams.”

Great Britain’s Gordon Reid brought an end to world No. 1 Shingo Kunieda’s dominance at the Australian Open, defeating the Japanese player 6-3 7-6 (1) in the quarterfinals of the men’s wheelchair singles on Wednesday (26 January).

Kunieda had won every Australian Open singles and doubles match he had played – there was only one year he was absent in 2012 due to elbow surgery – but his doubles partner this year, Reid, inflicted a first defeat

“It’s the perfect start to the week,” Reid said. “I knew it was going to be a really tough match against Shingo. He’s the world No. 1 for a reason and he’s been so dominant in our sport over the last few years. But at the same time I knew I had the game to beat him and I felt confident with the way I played in the tournaments leading up to this.

“That’s the best I have played in a singles match at a Slam and it was against the toughest opposition, so hopefully that’s the start of more to come and I can play like that again in more singles matches at Slams.”

“I am just taking it one tournament at a time,” he continued. “It’s really just [about] trying to improve my game. I know what I’m doing well and I know what I can do better. Every match I’m trying to improve on those things. Hopefully it will come together at the right moments.

Reid will face Argentinian Gustavo Fernandez, who beat Australian Adam Kellerman 6-2 6-4. French second-seed Stephane Houdet beat fellow countryman Nicolas Peifer 6-4 6-3 to set up a last-four clash with Belgian Joachim Gerard, who beat the Netherlands’ Maikel Scheffers 6-3 6-2.

Dutchwoman Aniek Van Koot came through a tough opener in the women’s wheelchair singles against South African Kgothatso Montjane, edging the first-set tiebreak 15-13 before going on to claim a 7-6 (13) 7-5 win.

“Last time she beat me at the NEC Masters in London and I couldn’t figure out how to play against her, so I was absolutely dreading myself to play against her,” Van Koot said. “She was really tricky, she hits so many different angles and different corners that I found really difficult. With that you get nervous and you get stressed. It was really tense.”

Van Koot, a former Australian open in 2013, endured a testing build-up to the event after suffering a back injury in Sydney two weeks ago, forcing her to pull out of the Melbourne Open.

“I was like, ‘Wow, you travel the whole world to be Down Under and you don’t get to do what you are here for. That’s really bad,’” Van Koot said. “But it got better and better every day so I was convinced I could play. And of course in a Paralympic year, you want everything to be fine.”

Van Koot next faces Yui Kamiji, the Japanese second-seed who beat German Sabine Ellerbrock 6-0 4-6 6-2. Defending champion Jiske Griffioen beat Great Britain’s Lucky Shuker 75 62 to set up an all-Netherlands clash with Marjolein Buis, who also beat a Brit in Jordanne Whiley, 7-6(2) 4-6 6-4.

Australian Dylan Alcott beat Great Britain’s Andy Lapthorne 6-0 6-4 in the quad wheelchair singles, while the USA’s David Wagner beat South Africa’s Lucas Sithole 6-2 6-3.

The semi-finals will continue Thursday (28 January).