Israel’s leading tennis star will defend his Wimbledon wheelchair quad doubles title this weekend after a comprehensive semi-finals victory alongside partner Niels Vink.
Guy Sasson moved a step closer to claiming another Grand Slam crown with a 6-1 6-1 triumph over Turkey’s Ahmet Kaplan and Agentine Gonzalo Enrique Lazarte on Thursday afternoon.
While the temperatures exceeded 32 degrees and spectators cowered under sun hats and umbrellas on court 17, Sasson took the weather conditions in his stride. “I’ve been training in more extreme condition and so it’s normal,” he told Jewish News as he signed autographs at the end of the one hour eight minute contest.
He said: “We knew today could be difficult because last year we nearest lost to the same pair. Today we dominated from the first points. It’s exciting to be in another final. I’m looking forward to it especially against the second seeds. They are dangerous and we’ll need to play our best to defend our title.”
The Israeli/Dutch duo never looked in trouble as they raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set, before Sasson dropped his serve in the fourth game.
That would be the only game the number one seeds lost until Kaplan successfully served to stay in the match at 0-5 down in the second set. In the next game, Vinks came back from 0-40 down to win his service game and close out the match for the number one seeds in a little over an hour.
Sasson now faces Vinks in the semi final of the singles tomorrow before the pair join forces again for the doubles final on Saturday. While Vinks has the better record in head to heads between the two, the Israeli said it was time for him to beat his friend at Wimbledon.
Sasson has not faced the types of protests experienced by Israelis in sport and entertainment on the global stage, and said the response from fellow players and locals around the world had been nothing but warm, including when he went to Wimbledon Synagogue on Shabbat last weekend.
The 46-year-old father of four – who is being cheered on in London by his parents, brother and children Mor and Amit – described representing Israel as the “most important thing about my role. Apart from playing for myself and my family and kids. The people back home are watching and representing our nation means so much to me. I hope I also do the Jewish community in London proud”.
Amit said: “I feel so proud. I gave my dad my white knee pads I use for volleyball and wrote my name on them for good luck.”
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