By Paul Osborne

Shingo Kunieda has won his seventh Australian Open singles title with victory over Gustavo Fernandez ©Getty ImagesJanuary 25 - Japan's Shingo Kunieda has won his seventh Australian Open singles title with victory over Argentina's rising star Gustavo Fernandez.


The world number one dominated the young Argentine 6-0, 6-1, to maintain his 100 per cent record at the Open since he first won the title in 2007.

"I'm very happy with this result," said Kunieda.

"To win seven times is unbelievable for me, but I love this surface and these temperatures.

"I played a good serve and return game today.

"I always hope to win here and now I want to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.

"The sport is getting more popular in Japan and we will keep going."

Shingo Kunieda won his seventh Australian Open title since 2007 with victory over Gustavo Fernandez ©Getty ImagesShingo Kunieda won his seventh Australian Open title since 2007 with victory over Gustavo Fernandez ©Getty Images



Kunieda's experience proved just too much for Fernandez throughout the match, highlighted in the first set where his first serve percentage was at a remarkable 96 per cent as he raced to close out the set 6-0 in just 22 minutes.

Fernandez won his first and only game of the match in the 37th minute to make the second set 3-1.

That was to be the one and only highlight for the Argentine in his first Grand slam final as Kunieda pushed on to take the second set 6-1 and secure his second title of the 2014 Australian Open following his victory in the men's doubles yesterday

"It was pretty exciting and pretty emotional to win my first Grand Slam match on Wednesday [against Stephane Houdet] and it was even more exciting to get to the final," Fernandez said.

"Now, I'm a little bit frustrated by the match, but in time maybe I will see what I did this week."

Germany's Sabine Ellerbrock ensured it wasn't a two-in-two for Japanese players at the Open as she beat Yui Kamiji, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to return to the top of the women's singles rankings.

Ellerbrock got off to the better start in the match, racing to a 2-0 lead in the opening set.

Japan's world number three turned up the heat after this however, putting together a four game winning streak to ensure a 4-2 advantage.

Ellerbrock held her serve to move to within just a game of her opponent, but back-to-back double faults from the top-seed saw Kamiji establish a two game cushion once again and she converted her first set point after exactly 30 minutes of play.

Ellerbrock started the second set as she had the first, but this time opening up a 5-2 advantage en route to taking the set.

The German continued her impressive play in the final set, securing successive breaks to take a commanding 5-1 lead.

Kamiji broke to love to show that she was not finished, but there was to be no big comeback and last year's runner-up completed the victory to add her first Australian Open title to her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in 2013.

Sabine Ellerbrock had to come from behind to beat Japan's Yui Kamiji and earn her first Australian Open title ©Getty ImagesSabine Ellerbrock had to come from behind to beat Japan's Yui Kamiji and earn her first Australian Open title ©Getty Images



"It's an amazing feeling, I'm very emotional," said Ellerbrock.

"Last year was tough.

"I came back from 3-5 and saved eight match points and when I had 5-5 I played two silly games and that was hard.

"But that's tennis.

"I didn't have last year's final in my head today and tried to concentrate on my match today.

"The first set was difficult with the wind, because it was always changing, but after a while I started to feel pretty comfortable on court.

"I was a little too defensive in the first set and especially against the wind you have to be very active, so in the second set it was much better."

David Wagner overcame Lucas Sithole in a repeat of the 2013 US Open final to win his third Australian Open title ©Getty ImagesDavid Wagner overcame Lucas Sithole in a repeat of the 2013 US Open final to win his third Australian Open title ©Getty Images



David Wagner added to his quad doubles success on Thursday (January 23) with victory over South Africa's Luca Sithole in the singles final.

The match was a replay of the final at the US Open in New York last year where Sithole became the first African player to win a Grand Slam Wheelchair Tennis title.

Wagner ensured there was no repeat of that result in Australia however as he marched to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory to secure his third Australian Open title.

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