Wagner completes Korean treble as Kamiji, Gerard claim Seoul titles
While there are few things that David Wagner has not achieved in his 22 years on the wheelchair tennis circuit, three weeks into his 50th year on planet Earth the celebrated American world No. 3 began the month of April having won just one quad singles title in Korea, Republic.
He left Korean soil over the weekend having increased that tally to four singles titles after his second Seoul Korea Open victory since 2018, having beaten third seed Heath Davidson 5-7 6-0 6-4 in the semi-finals and top seed and world No. 2 Sam Schroder 7-5 6-4 in the final.
Wagner’s semi-final win over Davidson was his second three-set victory over the Australian in a week, having beaten the world No. 4 7-6(4) 0-6 6-4 win the win the Daegu Open, the middle leg of his Korean treble.
Thereafter, he came from 4-0 down in the opening set of the final against Schroder to claim his first win over the Dutch world No. 2 since the round-robin phase of the 2019 NEC Singles Masters in Orlando.
Wagner, 49, moves on to the Japan Open with two ITF 1 titles and an ITF 2 title in succession in Busan, Daegu and Seoul.
Kamiji battles past Zhu for women’s singles title
The last time that world No. 2 Yui Kamiji lost to anyone other than world No. 1 Diede de Groot was at the 2022 Australian Open, when she was beaten by Aniek van Koot. However, that record came perilously close to ending against Chinese third seed Zhenzhen Zhu in Seoul, despite Kamiji holding on to clinch her second Korea Open title and her first since 2017.
With Kamiji still in the early stages of playing in a new tennis chair that she’d debuted the week previously when winning the Kobe Open. the top seed put together three straight sets wins on her way to the final in Seoul.
By the time she met Zhu, Zhu had already come from behind to defeat second seed Jiske Griffioen in second and third set set tie-break in the semi-finals. But the Chinese player showed few signs of fatigue as she sought her first win over Kamiji in 14 matches and it was only after more than three hours that Zhu’s resistance finally gave way and Kamiji wrapped up a 6-7(4) 6-0 7-6(5).
While playing four tie-breaks during the course of her last two singles matches in Seoul, Zhu had a much easier time in the women’s doubles and partnered Kamiji to victory for the loss of just five games in three matches, with Kamiji leaving Seoul as the only singles champion to add a doubles title.
Gerard lands first Korea Open men’s singles title
Three months on from clinching the first men’s singles title on the 2023 UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour with victory over Dutchman Ruben Spaargaren at the Victorian Open, Joachim Gerard beat Spaargaren again to seal his second title of the season and his first Korea Open crown in Seoul.
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As top seed, Gerard may have expected the opportunity to ease his way into the draw, but things didn’t quite work out that way. The Belgian won his opening set of the tournament 6-0 before his opponent retired before the second set, while his second round match saw Gerard pitted against Stephane Houdet as the Frenchman continued his competitive return to the Tour.
With Houdet having also won his opening contest without dropping a game, the 55th career match between Gerard and Houdet produced the kind of battle that could be expected from two former world No.1 players. Gerard eventually progressing 6-2 4-6 6-4.
The only player to have beaten current world No. 1 Alfie Hewett so far this season, Spaargaren was once again in sparkling form and earned a comfortable run to the final in Seoul, dropping a total of just seven games in four matches. However, with the Dutchman having won the Daegu Open his quest for back-to-back ITF 1 singles titles came undone against Gerard, who made it five wins in six matches against Spaargaren as he claimed his maiden Korea Open title 6-3 1-6 6-4.
Discover all the latest results from the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour here