Dylan Alcott is now just one match win away from achieving another slice of sporting history after the Australian wheelchair tennis ace raced into the final of the quad singles at the US Open in New York.
The 30-year-old Melburnian defeated Japanese veteran Koji Sugeno 6-2 6-1 at Flushing Meadows in New York to book his place in what could prove a historic showdown with teenage rival Niels Vink.
If he beats the 18-year-old Dutchman, Paralympic gold medallist Alcott, already a victor at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this season, will become the first man in any form of tennis to win a 'golden slam' of five singles titles, a feat that can only be achieved in an Olympic/Paralympic year.
But Vink delivered an early psychological blow when, after the two singles finalists had enjoyed a brief rest, he won the quad doubles title with his compatriot Sam Schroder, beating the top-seeded all-Aussie combination of Alcott and Heath Davidson 6-3 6-2 in 73 minutes.
Alcott, seeking his third US Open singles title and 15th major in total, has lost just four games en route to the singles final after taking just 55 minutes to hammer Sugeno, which took his season's record to 19 wins in 20 matches.
Vink, who Alcott beat in the toughest of semi-finals at the Tokyo Paralympics, took an hour-and-a-half to win his semi-final 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 against Briton Andy Lapthorne.
In the wheelchair doubles, British duo Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid achieved their own grand slam, becoming the first men's pairing to win all the majors in the same calendar year.
They'd been heartbroken to lose their Paralympic final but bounced back to defeat Gustavo Fernandez and Shingo Kunieda 6-2 6-1 on Saturday to claim their eighth successive slam.
Australian Associated Press
