MELBOURNE, Australia — The lineup at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday at the Australian Open offered a who’s who of the host country’s biggest tennis stars.
The doubles pair of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis won their semifinal match in the afternoon, setting up an all-Australian final in men’s doubles. The top-ranked Ashleigh Barty won her semifinal in the first match of the evening session, becoming the first Australian woman to reach the singles final at this tournament since 1980.
But for Barty, the achievements in those matches paled to those of the man who played just before her in the final match of his career: Dylan Alcott, a quad wheelchair tennis player.