Belgian wins Masters wheelchair tennis for the third time
Joachim Gérard has won the Masters wheelchair tennis in Orlando, Florida. In the final, our compatriot brushed aside the Japanese world number 1.
The 30-year-old Walloon-Brabant native defeated Shingo Kunieda in 3 sets (6-1, 6-7 (3/7) and 6-3), to claim his 3rd individual Masters title. Gérard, the world number 6, had already won the tournament in 2015 and 2016. The tournament is unofficially known as the World Cup.
Gérard has been performing at the highest level for years. Last year, he finished 3rd at the Masters Tournament, and in 2016 he won the bronze medal in the singles at the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.
He is also a top player in the doubles. During his semi-final singles match, Gérard eliminated his doubles partner Stefan Olsson. He lost the final of the Masters doubles earlier this year, along with the Swede. Frenchmen Stéphane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer were too strong for them. He also won the Masters title in 2014, together with Houdet. Gérard has now once again taken top spot on the podium.