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Wheelchair Tennis: Norfolk's Australian Open glory

By Jon Couch
February 02, 2012

PETER Norfolk regained the world No. 1 quad singles ranking after winning both the quad singles and the quad doubles titles at the Australian Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships during the second week of the first Grand Slam of 2012.

The brace of titles marks the first time in his illustrious career that Fleet-based Norfolk has won singles and doubles titles at the same Grand Slam tournament.

Norfolk arrived at Melbourne Park as world No. 2, before edging out fellow Brit Andy Lapthorne 6-4, 7-6 in the first of three matches in the round-robin stage of the competition and then swept past world No.3 Noam Gershony of Israel 6-3, 6-0.

Norfolk lost 6-4, 6-3 to defending champion David Wagner in his third and last round-robin match but, with Norfolk and the American both progressing to the final with better records than Gershony and Lapthorne, the Hampshire player also went on to avenge that defeat.

Norfolk edged into a 3-1 lead in Melbourne, only for Wagner to hit back and secure four games in a row en route to taking the opening set. But Norfolk came from a break down to take the second set and built a commanding 5-1lead in the third and deciding set before wrapping up his fifth Australian Open title 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

“I’m absolutely thrilled with my fifth singles title at the Australian Open and I hope I can use this as my base for a very successful 2012,” said Norfolk, who has won the Australian Open to start each of the previous two years in which he has won Paralympic gold – in 2004 and 2008.

In the quad doubles decider, Norfolk and Lapthorne completed a 6-4, 6-2 victory to seal a momentous double in Melbourne.

“It was a fabulous result for me after coming back from my injury,” Norfolk added.

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