Top seed Korie Homan of the Netherlands won her first women’s wheelchair singles Grand Slam tournament on Saturday, beating Frenchwoman and second seed Florence Gravellier 6-2 6-2 to claim the Australian Open title.
Twenty-three-year-old Homan overcame a wrist injury, which saw her withdraw from the doubles event, to claim the title on her third attempt, having being a runner-up in the last two years to her doubles partner and world No. 1 Esther Vergeer.
Homan was on the attack early in the final, gaining a break point in Gravellier’s opening service game, but the Frenchwoman was able to withstand the challenge with a cross-court winner followed by a strong serve.
Gravellier used this momentum to bring up her own break point opportunities in the following game, which she converted to take a 2-1 lead.
The No.1 seed fought back and broke back immediately to get the match back on serve, and then broke the Frenchwoman with some suburb angles to grab a 4-2 lead.
The Dutchwoman held her serve and broke Gravellier again with several deep returns to take the set 6-2.
Homan said after the match she planned to go for the angles against Gravellier to try and out-manoeuvre her rather than rely on power, knowing the Frenchwoman has a good return game on the faster shots.
“I tried to play my best tennis and not to make too much speed, because I know she loves it when I hit my harder shot,” Homan said.
“I know if I make angles instead of speed, it’s harder for her, so that’s pretty much what I did today.”
In the second set, Homan opened up a 3-0 lead when she broke Gravellier early, but the Frenchwoman fought back with a cross-court winner which clipped the net and levelled the set at 3-2.
Homan took the upper hand when she broke Gravellier the following game to lead 4-2, and she then won the next two games to close out the set and the match.
In her acceptance speech, Homan thanked the medical and physiotherapy staff at the Australian Open, who helped her to overcome a wrist injury which threatened to end her tournament.
“I was the first seed here and I knew I had a good chance but ... I already had ...a wrist injury. Two days ago in the semi-final it all went wrong, and I had a lot of painkillers and everything to just go on to play today.
“I am really happy that everything went OK now and I won it.”
Homan is a five-time Grand Slam doubles winner with compatriot Vergeer, who has been the dominant force in women’s singles wheelchair tennis for the past decade, winning seven of the last eight Australian Open titles.
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