PARIS.- On Court 13, located behind the Suzanne Lenglen Stadium, Gustavo Fernandez he raised his arms and celebrated a new joy. The Rio Tercero player won 6-1 and 6-1 in a huge match against the British Alfie Hewettnumber 1 in the world and maximum favorite, and qualified for the final of the tournament adapted from Roland Garrosin which he will face the Japanese Shingo Kunieda, 2nd in the world, who in the other semifinal beat Tokito Oda 6-2, 6-1.
Fernández, third in the ranking of the International Federation (ITF) of wheelchair tennis, will seek his third conquest at Roland Garroswhere he won in 2016 -his first Grand Slam title- and in 2019. The Cordovan also has victories at the Australian Open (2017 and 2019) and at Wimbledon (2019).
“I’m excited because sometimes you have a bad time and sometimes you have a good time, and it makes me happy when things turn out for me. I want to try to channel this moment of happiness and put my head on the rival in the final, because the work is not finished at all”, said the player born in Río Tercero, son of former basketball player Gustavo ‘Lobo’ Fernández.
“It is the most pleasant triumph that I can feel. I played amazing, spectacularly executed the plan. I am happy with the way I am competing. Today I didn’t let him do anything,” said Fernandez, 28. With this victory, the Cordovan equaled the record with Hewett 16-16, but, until the victory a few weeks ago in the semifinals of the Barcelona tournament, Fernández had lost 13 of his last 14 games against the current leader of the category. And precisely, he took revenge on the British, with whom he had lost in the semifinals in Paris in 2020 and 2021; on this last occasion, in a very tight ending.
“This victory means a lot, because professional tennis players love playing here at Roland Garros. Last year I had a good season, even though I didn’t have the chance to play the important games. I felt that I was in the fight, and now that the work is capitalized, it is enjoyed ”, expanded Fernández, who in addition to the two titles also reached the final of the French tournament in 2018 (lost to Kunieda) and 2017 (lost to Hewett).
Fernández, in a great season, has just won the Annecy Open and the Barcelona Open, as well as reaching the finals at the Rotterdam tournament, the Rome Open and the Baton Rouge Classic. At this time, the Cordovan has 11 consecutive victories on the adapted tennis tour.
Lobito Fernández, who was number 1 in the ranking for two periods (the first, in 2017), has been in the top ten of the ITF world ranking for a decade, since he obtained his first title as an “adult”, the Japan Open, Super Series category, comparable to the Masters 1000 of the conventional tour. A few weeks ago, in statements to THE NATION, had told: “Just as it happens in the conventional circuit, that many things are cyclical there are better moments, worse. I lived through a strong storm, but it’s over. When we do not have the best results, it is inevitable to lose confidence, but never determination, hunger or search. You have to find the perspective to see how problems are faced. I faced it in a way, I hit the wall like a champion; I tried again and crashed again. And then, in the third or fourth search, a clearing appeared, a little more, making good decisions as a team and family”.
Fernández, in this Roland Garros, is accompanied by Fernando San Martín, his coach since he was young, with whom he returned to work after a time of mutual rest -Jonathan Abadie is also part of the training team-, in addition to the physical trainer Matías Tettamanzi, and Florence, Gusti’s wife.
The next step will be the final, which will be played on Saturday, and in which the player from Río Tercero will star in another adapted tennis classic; now, before who is his doubles partner, and at the same time considered the Federer of wheelchair tennis, the Japanese Kunieda. At 38 years old, the Japanese continues in the elite as second in the ranking, and this final will also be the 38th duel between the two, with a 26-11 advantage in the record for Kunieda, although the Argentine won the last two matches .