Wagner reaches quad finals in Melbourne

Eleven-time (three singles, eight doubles) Australian Open champion David Wagner had another strong showing at the year's first Grand Slam in Melbourne, advancing to finals in both the wheelchair tennis quad singles and doubles competitions.

Seeded No. 2 in singles, Wagner took on a tough field of contenders in the round-robin portion of the tournament, including five-time Australian Open doubles champion Andy Lapthorne of Great Britain and Australia’s Heath Davidson. Wagner edged past the competition to finish the singles round-robin portion of the tournament, 2-1, securing his spot in the final.

In the final, the Walla Walla, Wash., native fell to No. 1 seed Dylan Alcott of Australia, 6-4, 7-6, in one hour, 41 minutes. The contest was a rematch of the 2018 US Open wheelchair quad singles final, which Alcott also won, 7-5, 6-2.  

In doubles, Wagner teamed with longtime partner Lapthorne, and the duo took on Alcott and Davidson in the final. The teams split the first two sets, before Alcott and Davidson won the match in a tiebreak, 6-3, 6-7, [12-10].

Wagner’s latest showing in Australia bolsters the Paralympian’s already impressive legacy. He now currently sits at 783 career wins.