Hewett lays foundations for Wimbledon with pair of Roehampton triumphs
Hewett trailed Argentine Gustavo Fernandez in his opening singles final before resurgently turning the tables to seal a 2-6 6-4 6-4 triumph.
And he carried that momentum with him into the doubles, joining forces with long-term partner Reid – who he beat in the singles semi-finals – to decisively down Martin De la Puente and Ruben Spaargaren to cap a fabulous Friday in south-west London.
Hewett heads into Wimbledon next week as both the defending singles and doubles champion and hopes the resilience shown against Fernandez will stand him in good stead.
'I have to try and perform at the same level and intensity I did in the second and third sets today,' he said.
'There are a lot of strong players and this week was the perfect opportunity to test myself.
'I take a lot of confidence from it but next week is an even bigger one to try and manage.
'I'm delighted - playing on home turf is a really special feeling and you want to do as well as you can, especially in the lead up to an event like Wimbledon.
'It's been a great week – I've been building as it's gone on which is what you want to do.'
After battling back against Fernandez, 31, on Friday morning, Hewett combined with Reid – a player he has won a remarkable 23 Grand Slams alongside – to cruise past Spaniard De la Puente and Dutch player Spaargaren.
The dynamic duo dropped just two games as a 6-0 6-2 triumph sent them into Wimbledon with even more momentum.
Reid said: 'We're very happy with the performance today and happy with the result.
'Those guys (De la Puente and Spaargaren) are a dangerous team so we had to play well and I think we did that today.
'It's great preparation for all of us to be here on these courts this week, so big thanks to Kirsty (Thomson, LTA Tournament Director) and the team for a great event.'
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
29 minutes ago
- Metro
Cameron Norrie responds after ‘weird' behaviour vs Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon
Cameron Norrie has issued a response after being accused of 'weird' behaviour during his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. Norrie was beaten in straight sets by the defending champion on Tuesday, ending British hopes in the singles, with Alcaraz easily winning 6-2 6-3 6-3. During the second set, Norrie tried to inject some energy into the Centre Court crowd and get himself going when his opponent fired a shot long. The British No.3 screamed out 'vamos' – which translates to 'let's go' in Spanish – with John McEnroe calling out Norrie on commentary duties. 'Was that Norrie saying vamos?' McEnroe said. 'It's weird for a guy that was born in South Africa, grew up in New Zealand and is a Brit, that he's saying vamos.' Norrie was quizzed about shouting 'vamos' during the match in his press conference and was asked to clarify if it was his normal celebration or if he did it specifically because he was playing against the Spaniard. 'My coach (Facundo Lugones) is Argentinian,' Norrie responded. 'I was saying kind of 'vamos' the whole tournament. Just trying to bring myself energy.' Norrie is the last British player to crash out of the singles and admits it would've been nice to have seen Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu go deeper this year. Draper lost in the second round to Croatian veteran Marin Cilic while Raducanu fell short to world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round. Quizzed on being the last Brit knocked out, and if he was overlooked by the media and the public, Norrie added: 'Yeah, honestly I don't care about that. 'It would have been nice to see them (Draper and Raducanu), or Jack at least, go deeper. 'It would have been nice to see. I think he would have liked that, too. He's one of the best players in the world at the moment. 'For me, no, I was just concentrated on myself. I was feeling very relaxed before the tournament. I was hitting the ball well. 'Obviously it would have been nice to have a few more matches on the grass. I had a really tough draw. 'I was playing Roberto Bautista Agut. He had a good run at Queen's. I was trying to take it a match at a time. I'm really happy with how I played. 'I'm not really thinking about that [other] stuff too much. Yeah, I'm just happy to be enjoying my tennis more than anything. 'I'm not caring about who else is doing well. It would be nice to see that. But no, I was happy with the way I was enjoying my tennis.' MORE: John McEnroe clarifies 'disrespectful' Rafael Nadal comment during Wimbledon coverage MORE: Jannik Sinner injury update drops amid Wimbledon withdrawal fears MORE: Wimbledon umpire forced to halt match after another glitch as crowd boo
Scottish Sun
40 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Gustaf Lagerbielke's Celtic exit confirmed as he leaves after two years with exact fee and sell-on clause revealed
CELTIC have confirmed defender Gustaf Lagerbielke has left the club to join SC Braga on a permanent transfer. The Sweden international had failed to cement his place in the first team at Celtic since joining from Elfsborg two years ago, making just ten appearances. 3 Lagerbielke was on loan at Twente last season Credit: Getty 3 Lagerbielke made just 10 appearances for the Hoops Credit: Kenny Ramsay 3 Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is reshaping his squad Credit: PA The 25-year-old was loaned out to Dutch outfit Twente where he impressed last season, but will now join the Portuguese side Braga in a €2.6million (£2.2m) deal. He's signed a five-year contract which will keep him at the club until 2030. Celtic may receive another £400,000 if certain objectives are met and they will also get 10 per cent of the profit from a future transfer. And Lagerbielke posted on social media in a farewell to Celtic fans on Tuesday. Lagerbielke posted on his Insta: "I want to thank you for the last two years. "To all the players I've had the privilege to get to know and share a pitch with. "To the staff who has always been there and that I've learnt a lot from. "And an extra big thank you to the supporters for always being there for the team and for making this club so special. "I wish you all the best of luck in the future and that Glasgow continues to be green and white. Hail hail 🍀" Lagerbielke is the latest player to leave the Hoops as Brendan Rodgers looks to reshape his squad. Ex-Celtic coach Eric Black on the Cup exit that rocked Scottish football plus life with Lubo and Dr Jo Centre-back Maik Nawrocki completed a loan move to Bundesliga 2. side Hannover, with the option of making the move permanent. Full-back Greg Taylor joined PAOK, Matthew Anderson has moved to second-tier Belgian side Kortrijk and goalkeeper Scott Bain signed for Falkirk. The £17million deal for Nicolas Kuhn to join Como is almost complete after the winger was pictured on a plane heading to Italy. Meanwhile, Celtic secured a 2-1 victory against Cork City in the second of seven warm up games ahead of the new season getting underway. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Sport minister rejects calls to consult on alcohol ban in football stands
Stephanie Peacock said moves to reverse the prohibition, which has been in place since 1985, do not fall within the scope of the Football Governance Bill. MPs will have a say on the Tories' amendment to the Bill on Tuesday, if the party chooses to push it to a vote. Sport minister Stephanie Peacock (Chris McAndrew/PA) The minister also stopped short of agreeing to financial support for ex-players who have suffered brain conditions caused by heading footballs, but said the Government is 'committed' to looking further at player welfare. Speaking in the Commons, Ms Peacock said the Bill's focus is on the 'financial sustainability of football clubs up and down the country'. The Bill would introduce an independent regulator for the top five tiers of the men's game to ensure clubs are run sustainably and are accountable to their fans. The regulator will also have 'backstop' powers to impose a financial settlement between the English Football League (EFL) and the Premier League if they cannot agree one themselves. David Kogan, a media rights expert, has been named as the Government's preferred candidate to chair the Independent Football Regulator in April, and his appointment was endorsed by a cross-party committee of MPs. But Mr Kogan faces an inquiry into his appointment following the revelation that he had donated money to both Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, as well as other Labour figures. During the Bill's report stage, shadow sport minister Louie French accused the Government of 'appointing a Labour crony to be the new sheriff of football'. Intervening, Ms Nandy said then-minister Stuart Andrew had 'actively headhunted the individual in question and added him to the shortlist'. Mr French also urged the Government to scrap the 'legacy ban which sees fans rushing to drink their beer before kick-off and at half-time'. On new clause one, he said: 'The alcohol ban, which has been in place since 1985, was introduced to help curb hooliganism on the terraces during the problematic era of British football. 'But 40 years on, and with the modern game enjoying a more family-friendly atmosphere in stadiums across the country, clubs, fans and the Conservatives are urging the Government to consult on lifting the ban on alcohol. 'As football fans know, we have this legacy ban which sees fans rushing to drink their beer before kick-off and at half-time, this often leads to the fans being delayed entering the stadiums and overcrowding on the concourses. 'This is why we have listened to clubs and fans, especially those lower down the football pyramid, and are urging the Government to end the two-tier approach to football plans as part of their Football Governance Bill.' Responding, Ms Peacock said: 'This is outside the scope of the Bill, which is focused on sustainability of clubs and game overall. I've raised the issue with the Home Office, as I committed to do during the Bill committee, as it is their policy lead.' Labour MP for Caerphilly Chris Evans (Andrew Matthews/PA) A number of MPs, including Labour's Chris Evans (Caerphilly) had tabled amendments to the Bill calling for greater support of past players who have developed neurodegenerative diseases as a result of heading footballs. Referring to the Liberal Democrats' amendment which called for a financial scheme to provide care, Ms Peacock said it is 'not within the tight regulatory scope of the Bill'. She told MPs: 'The Secretary of State and I recently met with a small group of affected families and ex-footballers, including individuals associated with Football Families for Justice (FFJ), to discuss player safety and welfare for those suffering with dementia. 'The Government is committed to looking further at this issue and supporting the families and football authorities to come together to address issues of lifelong consequences from concussion as well as post-career mental health and financial crises. 'I'm afraid this amendment is not within the tight regulatory scope of the Bill, although that does not mean the Government is not aware and very sympathetic to the calls that are being made on this issue, both in this House and for many former players and their families. 'This Bill is focused on the financial sustainability of football clubs up and down the country.' The Liberal Democrats had also tabled an amendment which proposed that at least 10 Premier League football matches should be made available on free-to-air television channels such as the BBC or ITV. The party's culture spokesperson Max Wilkinson said: 'If we are to get the next generation of fans involved, the easiest way to make sure that they are entertained and that they're engaging is by making football free-to-air.' Ms Peacock said: 'The Government believes that the current list of events works well, and it strikes an appropriate balance between access to sporting events and allowing sports to maximise broadcasting revenue. 'In domestic football, the present arrangements under the listed events regime have protected key moments such as the FA Cup final, while ensuring that the Premier League, the EFL, and the FA, are able to raise billions of pounds annually, which is invested back into the pyramid. 'We all want to see more matches being televised, free-to-air, but that must be balanced against investment and not risk it.'
