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Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid can relate to the quote – available in every tacky souvenir shop here – that Paris is always a good idea.
Playing together on the clay of Roland Garros, they are unbeaten for five years, a run of dominance they have not matched at other Grand Slam tournaments.
A partisan crowd at the Suzanne Lenglen Stadium did their best to wish otherwise, but they booked their place in the Paralympic men’s wheelchair doubles final with a 6-4 6-3 victory over French fourth seeds Frédéric Cattaneo and Stéphane Houdet.
Between them, the Brits have won 25 Grand Slam doubles titles, including seven victories here in the French capital, but they have lost the last two Paralympic finals when they were heavy favourites and that hurts.
Houdet – with his former partner Nicolas Peifer – got the measure of Hewett and Reid in these two matches, a revenge duly served with the Japanese Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda, the number 2 seeds, who now await them in the final.
“It was electric in there, we’re used to the crowd being on our side but I loved it and thrived in that atmosphere,” said Hewett, who is part of Aldi’s Nearest and Dearest programme in partnership with ParalympicsGB, helping to maximise support and minimise potential distractions for athletes so they can focus on their performance.
“It was just a feeling of relief against him [Houdet]It’s a bit traumatised when you lose two Paralympic finals against the same player.
“We have played against Takuya and Tokito many times in the last Grand Slam tournaments and we know what to expect, they are very dangerous opponents. They are a very well-trained and motivated team.
“We are assured of winning a medal, but we would be disappointed if we did not win gold. Coming away with another silver medal is not really in our thoughts at the moment.”
Hewett is also hoping to secure a Grand Slam in singles, marred by defeats to Reid in Rio and Tokyo.
His historic victory at Wimbledon just a few weeks ago means he could complete the set here, where he last won the French Open singles in 2021.
The top seed saw off Dutch rival Ruben Spaargarten in the quarter-finals, although Reid was beaten by Argentina’s Gustavo Fernández, who may well be Hewett’s biggest threat.
“I don’t feel the pressure of our record, we take confidence from it,” Reid said. “We’re used to these courts, used to these conditions and we’ve had some great results here.
“I didn’t feel great after my singles, I don’t think I had absorbed enough information before going on court and I was a bit slow. Alfie helped me and supported me. Sticking together as a team is something we do well.
“Alfie is world number one, he plays very well and he’s the one to beat in singles for me.”
Meanwhile, another British tennis player named Andy bid a tearful farewell to his career at Roland Garros.
After Andy Murray’s emotional Olympic farewell, Andy Lapthorne has said it will be the end after he and partner Gregory Slade were knocked out in the wheelchair tennis quad doubles final.
“I’m not retiring from the sport as a whole. I’ll keep going until my body tells me to stop, but I’m ready to start a life away from the courts,” Lapthorne said after a 6-1 6-1 loss to top seeds Niels Vink and Sam Schroder.
“This was my last Paralympic game. It’s been such a journey and it’s bittersweet. The atmosphere and the crowd here has been so special that I feel ready to go. You think you can do this forever, but when you wake up and realise you can’t, it’s weird.
“It was an emotional 24 hours, it’s not easy to win four Paralympic medals in wheelchair tennis.
“It’s time for me to leave this career behind and I’m going to a centre court at a Grand Slam venue, in front of a huge crowd.
“Other things have to take priority over tennis matches and that hasn’t happened to me since I was 16.
“I said I wouldn’t wear this jersey unless I won a gold medal and I don’t think I can do that in Los Angeles.”
Slade admitted the pressure of preparing for the Games was high, with his selection only being confirmed a few weeks ago.
But he underlined his status as a rising star in the sport with big performances in crucial moments, including in the semi-final win over Brazilians Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva.
“There are mixed feelings after the game, we knew it would be tough against the two best players in the world,” he said. “I’m disappointed we didn’t put in more of a fight.
“It’s my first Games and to come away with a medal is amazing, so maybe I need a little more time to think things through.
“We knew for a year that this was a great opportunity for a medal. It was a lot of stress, a lot of pressure and there were times when I cracked. There were times when I wondered if this sport was for me.”
Aldi is proud to be the official partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes up to Paris 2024.
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