Melbourne, Australia, 25 January 2023 | Leigh Rogers
Jason Kubler and Rinky Hijikata are lighting up Melbourne Park with their amazing run in the Australian Open 2023 men’s doubles competition.
The Aussie wildcards knocked out the sixth seeds in the second round, then fought back from match point down to clinch a remarkable third-round victory.
Remarkably, Kubler, who is currently ranked No.163 in doubles, and Hijikata, the world No.277, are teaming up for the first time.
“Hopefully we keep it going,” Kubler said.
“We’re just riding the wave right now. We’re using everyone’s energy and fighting until the end.”
Kubler and Hijikata are among 22 Aussie players scheduled to compete on day 10 at Melbourne Park.
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Aussies in action:
[14] John Peers (AUS)/Andreas Mies (GER) v [8] Marcel Granollers (ESP)/Horacio Zeballos (ARG)
Men’s doubles, quarterfinals, Kia Arena, first match (from 1pm AEDT)
Peers has advanced to his fourth Australian Open doubles quarterfinal. The 34-year-old, who grew up in Melbourne, is now hoping to reach his third semifinal and first since 2019. The world No.38 and Mies, a 32-year-old German ranked No.22, are playing just their second tournament together, but are proving a formidable team. They face world No.16 Granollers and world No.14 Zeballos, who are aiming to reach back-to-back Australian Opens semifinals.
[4] Storm Hunter (AUS)/Elise Mertens (BEL) v Marta Kostyuk (UKR)/Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU)
Women’s doubles, quarterfinals, Margaret Court Arena, second match (not before 1pm AEDT)
Hunter, a 28-year-old who lives in Melbourne, is thriving in a new partnership with world No.5 Mertens, a 27-year-old from Belgium. The fourth seeds have been building impressive momentum and now face world No.38 Kostyuk, a 20-year-old Ukrainian, and world No.89 Ruse, a 25-year-old Romanian. World No.12 Hunter is contesting her second Australian Open women’s doubles quarterfinal and aiming to reach a first semifinal.
> VIEW: Australian Open 2023 women’s doubles draw
[WC] Rinky Hijikata (AUS)/Jason Kubler (AUS) v [1] Wesley Koolhof (NED)/Neal Skupski (GBR)
Men’s doubles, quarterfinals, Kia Arena, second match
Aussie wildcards, 21-year-old Hijikata and 29-year-old Kubler, are enjoying a career-best run in a Grand Slam men’s doubles draw. They face a big test in the quarterfinals, where they meet the tournament’s top seeds. Koolhof, a 33-year-old from the Netherlands, and Skupski, a 33-year-old Brit, won seven titles together last year and share the No.3 ranking position. This is their second consecutive Australian Open quarterfinal and they are hoping to reach a first semifinal.
> VIEW: Australian Open 2023 men’s doubles draw
Ben Weekes (AUS)/Casey Ratzlaff (USA) v Alexander Cataldo (CHI)/Tom Egberink (NED)
Men’s wheelchair doubles, quarterfinals, Court 8, third match
Weekes, whose best Australian Open doubles result is a runner-up finish in 2019, is carrying Aussie hopes in the men’s wheelchair doubles. The 38-year-old from Sydney, who is currently ranked No.26, is partnering Ratzlaff, a 24-year-old American ranked No.22. Their quarterfinal opponents are world No.15 Cataldo, a 25-year-old from Chile, and world No.10 Egberink, a 30-year-old from the Netherlands.
> VIEW: Australian Open 2023 men’s wheelchair doubles draw
Heath Davidson (AUS)/Robert Shaw (CAN) v [1] Sam Schroder (NED)/Niels Vink (NED)
Quad wheelchair doubles, semifinals, Margaret Court Arena, fourth match
Davidson, a 35-year-old from Melbourne, is aiming to win a fifth Australian Open doubles title. The former world No.1, who currently sits at No.6, is teaming with Shaw, a 33-year-old Canadian ranked No.7. They face the top seeds, world No.1 Schroder and world No.2 Vink, who are aiming to win a fourth consecutive Grand Slam title. This is a rematch of the Melbourne Wheelchair Open final earlier this month, which the Dutch duo won.
> VIEW: Australian Open 2023 quad wheelchair doubles draw
[WC] Olivia Gadecki (AUS)/Marc Polmans (AUS) v Luisa Stefani (BRA)/Rafael Matos (BRA)
Mixed doubles, semifinals, Rod Laver Arena, night session, second match
This is a semifinal clash between two teams yet to drop a set so far this tournament. Gadecki, a 20-year-old from the Gold Coast, and Polmans, a 25-year-old from Melbourne, are hoping to continue their incredible run against the Brazilian combination of world No.34 Stefani and world No.29 Matos. All four players are aiming to reach a first Grand Slam final.
> VIEW: Australian Open 2023 mixed doubles draw
Rennae Stubbs (AUS)/Mark Philippoussis (AUS) v Iva Majoli (CRO)/Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
Legends’ doubles, Court 3, first match (from 11am AEDT)
Aussie greats Stubbs and Philippoussis have been entertaining crowds in the legends’ doubles event this week. Today they take on Majoli, the Roland Garros 1997 champion, and Baghdatis, the Australian Open 2006 finalist, in a mixed doubles showdown.
[WC] Pavle Marinkov (AUS) v [4] Arthur Gea (FRA)
Boys’ singles, third round, Court 13, third match
The 16-year-old Marinkov is in red-hot form, having won 24 of his past 26 matches. This includes claiming the 18/u Australian Championships at Melbourne Park last month. The Aussie wildcard, who is from New South Wales and ranked No.210, meets world No.11 Gea, an 18-year-old Frenchman, in the third round.
> VIEW: Australian Open 2023 boys’ singles draw
Emerson Jones (AUS)/Wakana Sonobe (JPN) v [1] Ella McDonald (GBR)/Luca Udvardy (HUN)
Girls’ doubles, second round, Court 6, third match
Jones, a 14-year-old from the Gold Coast, is enjoying her Australian Open debut. The world No.34 is partnering Sonobe, a 15-year-old from Japan ranked No.64. Today they meet the top seeds – world No.8 McDonald, a 17-year-old Brit, and world No.18 Udvardy, a 17-year-old from Hungary.
[WC] Alexander Despoja (AUS)/Jeremy Zhang (AUS) v Federico Bondioli (ITA)/Matic Kriznik (SLO)
Boys’ doubles, second round, Court 16, third match
The Aussie wildcards shocked the No.2 seeds in the opening round. Despoja, a 18-year-old from South Australia, and Zhang, a 17-year-old from New South Wales, now look to continue their impressive run against Bondioli, a 17-year-old Italian ranked No.51, and Kriznik, a 17-year-old Slovenian ranked No.41.
> VIEW: Australian Open 2023 boys’ doubles draw
[5] Hayden Jones (AUS)/Danil Panarin v Alexander Frusina (USA)/Jan Hrazdil (CZE)
Boys’ doubles, second round, Court 16, fourth match
World No.23 Jones, a 16-year-old from the Gold Coast, is partnering world No.24 Panarin in the doubles competition. The fifth-seeded combination meet world No.34 Frusina, a 17-year-old from America, and Hrazdil, a 17-year-old Czech ranked No.61.
[WC] Cooper Errey (AUS)/Marcus Schoeman (AUS) v Michal Krajci (SVK)/Andrii Zimnokh (UKR)
Boys’ doubles, second round, Court 5, fifth match
Errey, a 17-year-old Victorian, and Schoeman, a 17-year-old from Queensland, won the 18/u Australian Championships last month. They are hoping to maintain their winning form against Krajci, an 18-year-old Slovak, and Zimnokh, a 17-year-old Ukrainian.
[WC] Zara Larke (AUS)/Anja Nayar (AUS) v Renata Jamrichova (SVK)/Federica Urgesi (ITA)
Girls’ doubles, second round, Court 12, sixth match
Larke and Nayar have made an impressive start to their Australian Open campaign. The 17-year-old wildcards, who are both from Queensland, take on world No.29 Jamrichova, a 15-year-old Slovak, and world No.51 Urgesi, a 17-year-old Italian, in the second round.
> VIEW: Australian Open 2023 girls’ doubles draw
[WC] Pavle Marinkov (AUS)/Zachary Viiala (AUS) v Ruslan Tiukaev/Tianhui Zhang (CHN)
Boys’ doubles, second round, Court 13, sixth match
Aussie wildcards Marinkov, a 16-year-old from New South Wales, and Viiala, a 17-year-old from Western Australia, have reached the second round. They now face world No.129 Tiukaev and world No.104 Zhang, a 16-year-old from China.
[WC] Roisin Gilheany (AUS)/Stefani Webb (AUS) v Carolina Kuhl (GER)/Ella Seidel (GER)
Girls’ doubles, second round, Court 16, sixth match
Victorians, 17-year-old Gilheany and 17-year-old Webb, are enjoying a memorable run at their home Grand Slam. The Aussie wildcards now face a German combination. Kuhl is a 17-year-old ranked No.40, while Seidel is a 17-year-old ranked No.31.
> VIEW: Full Australian Open 2023 day 10 schedule
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