Lapthorne, a quad doubles silver medal winner behind Wagner and Nicholas Taylor at London 2012, started well in the semi-final, moving ahead by a break before rain forced the players off court.

After the resumption, triple-Paralympic champion Wagner hit back to level matters at 2-2, only for Lapthorne to win the next four games to clinch the opening set before cruising home by the same 6-2 margin in the second set. 

It was the Briton's sixth career win over the United States star and his third against him this season.

"I've been training so hard these last few months and it's just about going onto the court and believing in yourself and believing in what you've been doing on the training court," said the 23-year-old afterwards.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic to beat the world number one in my home Super Series."

Lapthorne will now face Australian Dylan Alcott in tomorrow's final, after Alcott ended the title defence of South Africa's 2013 winner Lucas Sithole by a comfortable 6-3, 6-0 margin.

Dylan Alcott set up an Anglo-Australian final in Nottingham ©Getty Images



The reigning champion also exited in the semi-finals of the women's singles as The Netherlands' world ranked number two Aniek van Koot edged Germany's world number three Sabine Ellerbrock, 7-5, 6-4.

This was a reverse of the result in the final last year. 

Van Koot will now have the formidable task of facing top see Yui Kamiji in her bid to go one better this time around, as the Japanese star won a topsy-tervy match against another Dutch player, Jiske Griffioen, 7-5, 1-6, 6-1.

There was also more success for the home fans as London 2012 bronze medallists Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley reached the women's doubles final, with Whiley bidding to add this title to her Wimbledon doubles crown earlier this month.

The home duo defeated Dutchwoman Marjolein Buis and South Africa's Kgothatso Montjane 7-6, 6-1.and will now face top seeds Kamiji and van Koot in the final.

The Dutch-Japanese partnership won an encounter containing all four of the players who featured in the singles semi-finals, with Ellerbrock and Griffioen missing out 6-7, 5-7.

All the finals will take place in Nottingham tomorrow from 9.30am, with entry for this the 25th British Open remaining free for all spectators.

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