Jason Kubler and John Peers, doubles champions at an ATP Challenger tournament in France, are among multiple Australian players to win titles this week.
Australia, 7 May 2023 | Leigh Rogers
From outstanding individual results to strong national team performances, it has been another exceptional week for Australian tennis.
Eight Australian players won titles on the professional tour. This includes Jordan Thompson triumphing over Max Purcell in an all-Australian singles final at an ATP Challenger tournament in South Korea.
Storm Hunter, Ellen Perez, John Peers, Jason Kubler, Jaimee Fourlis, Olivia Gadecki and Adam Walton also won titles this week, while rising star Zachary Viiala continued his impressive run with a second consecutive singles title on the ITF World Junior Tour.
The Australian 16 and under girls’ team, consisting of Alana Subasic, Tahlia Kokkinis and Gabby Gregg, finished third in the Junior Billie Jean King Cup qualifying competition in Kazakhstan. This earns them in place in the finals later this year.
While the Australian junior boys’ wheelchair team, which included Jin Woodman, Benjamin Wenzel and Yassin Hill, finished fourth at the World Team Cup in Portugal.
This week’s most outstanding performers include …
Matt Ebden: The 35-year-old from Perth and Indian partner Rohan Bopanna recorded a runners-up finish in the men’s doubles competition at Madrid (Spain). It was Ebden’s second career ATP Masters 1000 final and his fourth final appearance of the year.
> READ: Ebden and Bopanna edged out in Madrid final
Jordan Thompson: The 29-year-old claimed his 16th professional singles title with victory at an ATP Challenger event at Gwangju (South Korea). The world No.91 scored back-to-back wins against top 90-ranked opponents to secure victory. This is Thompson’s second ATP Challenger title this year.
Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez: Australia’s top-ranked women’s doubles players teamed up this week to win a WTA 125 tournament in Reus (Spain). It is the first title of the year for both 28-year-old Hunter and 27-year-old Perez.
Jason Kubler and John Peers: The Aussie pair claimed their first team title at an ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence (France). This is 29-year-old Kubler’s second doubles title of the season and his career-first at this level, while it is 34-year-old Peers’ first title of the season and his first at ATP Challenger level in almost 10 years.
🏆 Top Team 🏆
Kubler/Peers net the title in Aix defeating Borges/Cabral 6-7, 6-4, 10-7.#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/EIISxJglkh
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 7, 2023
> READ: Jason Kubler – a shining example of perseverance
Max Purcell: The 25-year-old progressed to his fifth ATP Challenger singles final of the season in Gwangju (South Korea). Australian Davis Cup team-mate and occasional doubles partner Jordan Thompson defeated Purcell for the title.
John-Patrick Smith and Andrew Harris: The Aussie combination were doubles finalists at an ATP Challenger in Gwangju (South Korea). It was 34-year-old Smith and 29-year-old Harris’ second final as a team this season.
> READ: John-Patrick Smith – “I like to hit targets and challenge myself”
Marc Polmans: Advanced to his fifth singles semifinal of the season, and third at ATP Challenger level, in Gwangju (South Korea). The 26-year-old’s run included a quarterfinal victory against world No.102 and fellow Aussie James Duckworth. It was Polmans’ best win, ranking-wise, since September 2020.
Jaimee Fourlis: The 23-year-old had an exceptional week, making the biggest singles and doubles finals of her career at an ITF 100 tournament in Wiesbaden (Germany). Fourlis finished runner-up to Russian Elina Avanesyan in the singles and won the doubles title alongside fellow Aussie Olivia Gadecki. This is Fourlis’ sixth career ITF doubles title.
> READ: Jaimee Fourlis – “Every moment counts”
Olivia Gadecki: The 21-year-old clinched an ITF 100 doubles title in Wiesbaden (Germany) alongside Jaimee Fourlis without losing a set. It was Gadecki’s fifth ITF doubles final of the season and delivered a seventh career title (and her first at ITF 100 level).
Astra Sharma: A resurgent Sharma made a semifinal appearance at an ITF 100 tournament in Bonita Springs (USA). It was the 27-year-old’s first singles semifinal in more than two years.
Kaylah McPhee: The 25-year-old was a doubles finalist, partnering Czech Aneta Kucmova, at an ITF 60 tournament in Prague (Czech Republic). It was McPhee’s third doubles final appearance in as many weeks, all with different partners.
Taylah Preston: The 17-year-old advanced to her first professional singles final at an ITF 25 tournament in Nottingham (Great Britain). Preston won six matches to reach the final as a qualifier, where she lost to British world No.140 Harriet Dart.
Arina Rodionova: An impressive 13-match winning streak, the longest of the 33-year-old’s professional career, came to an end in the singles semifinals at an ITF 25 tournament in Nottingham (Great Britain). Rodionova lost to eventual champion Harriet Dart.
Adam Walton: The 24-year-old, who is currently ranked at a career-high world No.319, swept through the singles draw at an ITF 15 tournament in Tbilisi (Georgia) without conceding a set. This delivered Walton his fourth career ITF title and first this season.
Zachary Viiala: The 17-year-old won his second consecutive ITF junior boys’ singles title, overcoming fellow Aussie Jarrod Joyce in the final of a J100 tournament in Mornington (Australia). Viiala is now on a 10-match winning streak.
> READ: Zachary Viiala – A rising star of Australian tennis
Ashlee Narker: The 17-year-old finished runner-up to Chinese Taipei’s Wan I-Wen in the girls’ singles competition at a J100 tournament in Mornington (Australia). It was Narker’s second consecutive finals appearance on the ITF World Junior Tour.
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