06 September 2010
Britain's Peter Norfolk sealed his 18th major singles title on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour on Sunday after a spectacular three set victory in the quad singles final at the US Open USTA Wheelchair Championships in St Louis completed a fine comeback to the sport after a five month break.
Norfolk, who became a father for the second time in July, celebrated his return to the world No 1 quad singles ranking with a 7-6(7), 6-7(3), 6-2 victory over American top seed David Wagner in the fifth and final Super Series event of the year. He now heads to New York for the final Grand Slam of the year.
Two-time Paralympic champion Norfolk, who lost the world No 1 ranking to Wagner in July, shortly after his wife Linda gave birth to their second child, had been beaten by the American in the final of April's Florida Open, the first Super Series tournament of 2010. However, in his first tournament since then Norfolk came from 4-2 down to clinch the opening set with a forehand down the line.
Norfolk lost his focus in he second set, relinquishing a 4-0 lead and serving a double fault on set point in a second successive tie-break, but he established a 5-2 lead in the decider before squeezing a backhand slice down the line to wrap up his fifth US Open USTA Wheelchair Championships title and his first since 2006.
"I'm absolutely delighted to win on my comeback after the birth of our daughter Evie," said Norfolk. "It was always going to be extremely tough and David made it tough, as I expected, in a high quality match that had some high quality service returns. I lost my way in the second set, but was pleased with the way I got myself back on track for the final set and I'm now looking forward to playing in New York, where I hope I can go on and defend my title."
Norfolk, dubbed 'The Quadfather' for his numerous achievements in the sport over the past decade, will now bid for his third US Open quad singles Grand Slam title when the wheelchair tennis tournament begins at Flushing Meadows on Thursday.