Australia

Silver for Dylan Alcott and Heath Davidson in quad doubles


Australians Dylan Alcott and Heath Davidson have won a silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, losing the quad doubles gold medal match on night eight.

The Australian pair was seeking to go back-to-back after winning gold in Rio, but they lost 6-4, 6-3 to Sam Schroder and Niels Vink of the Netherlands in a rain-affected match on centre court.

It was the second time for Alcott and Vink to meet in as many days, after the Australian prevailed in their quad singles semi-final on Tuesday night, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

There was a tight beginning to the match as befitted a tie between the number one and two seeds.

The Australians broke for a 3-2 lead, but the Dutch pair immediately brought the pressure, and a brilliant winner down the middle from Schroder secured the break-back for 3-3.

Rain, which had delayed play on the main courts during the afternoon and evening, returned, and play was stopped to allow the roof to be closed.

When they returned, games went with serve until the Dutch broke to take the set 6-4.

The second set was just as fiercely contested: games went on serve, early but both teams had to work extremely hard for their points.

Schroder and Vink broke the Australians in the fourth game to go up 3-1.

A group of Australian supporters in the stands tried to encourage Alcott and Davidson to make a comeback, but it looked like the match was heading one way until the Australians managed to get the break back in the seventh game to get back on serve at 3-4.

The pair from the Netherlands showed resilience however and despite saving two break points at 3-4, Alcott and Davidson could not save a third.

Vink then served out the match to clinch the gold medal. 

Alcott, who remains on track for a ‘Golden Slam’ — winning all four major tennis singles titles plus the Olympics or Paralympics in the same year — in 2021, is scheduled to take on Schroder in the men’s quad singles gold medal game in the last match on centre court on Thursday.



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