Former world No.1 doubles participant and Davis Cup legend John Fitzgerald hails Max Purcell, Jordan Thompson, Matt Ebden and John Friends for his or her doubles heroics in 2024.
Melbourne, 10 September 2024 | Dan Imhoff
Australia’s doubles renaissance on the largest levels in 2024 is music to nine-time Grand Slam champion John Fitzgerald’s ears and presents a useful predicament for the nation’s Davis Cup marketing campaign, in line with the previous world No.1.
Fitzgerald, who accomplished the doubles profession Grand Slam and picked up two blended doubles crowns between 1982 and 1991, hailed the state of the nation’s doubles shares following Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson’s first main title collectively on the US Open.
The 2-time Davis Cup winner and 2003 profitable captain hailed Australia’s latest type, which included Matt Ebden and John Friends’ Olympic doubles gold medal in Paris and Ebden’s Australian Open triumph in January with Indian accomplice Rohan Bopanna.
> READ: Australia opens Davis Cup marketing campaign towards France
With Australia on account of face France, Czech Republic and Spain within the Davis Cup group stage in Valencia this week, it meant Australia was blessed with three prime 10 doubles gamers within the group.
“I believe Max Purcell is arguably the most effective first-courter on the earth, if he places his thoughts to it on that first court docket,” Fitzgerald stated in an interview with The Sit-Down. “A part of what made that gold medal win of Ebden and Friends so nice ultimately, one in every of them needed to transfer to the primary court docket.
“So, John Friends confirmed a whole lot of versatility to have the ability to transfer throughout from that facet he performed on, below stress on a clay court docket and enjoying in that first court docket. He deserves a whole lot of credit score for that… It was nice to see the Aussies doing nicely. Historically now we have on this nation.”
> LISTEN: The Sit-Down with John Fitzgerald
Having let championship factors slip within the Wimbledon closing, Purcell and Thompson atoned for the frustration at Flushing Meadows the place they denied German pair Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz for Thompson’s first main doubles trophy and Purcell’s second, having claimed Wimbledon with Ebden two years in the past.
It marked Purcel and Thompson’s fifth title collectively this season following Dallas, Los Cabos, Houston and the Madrid Masters.
“I really feel like Australian doubles has all the time had good gamers,” Purcell stated. “We had Peersy earlier than us form of going deep in Slams, and Ebby final yr had a very good run after which into the beginning of this yr, myself and Ebby a pair years earlier than that.
“I simply suppose we’re such well-rounded gamers that when we have to play doubles and work out the way to win doubles matches, we’ve acquired greater than sufficient court docket craft to do this.
The remainder is historical past 💚💛
Epic #DavisCup story advised by John Fitzgerald feat. @lleytonhewitt 🎧 https://t.co/Q6r3CarVU1 pic.twitter.com/YosssZVsfy
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) September 9, 2024
“I assume the camaraderie of Australian gamers, all of us form of stick collectively, Thommo and I particularly. That’s an enormous think about why we win.”
Fitzgerald, who additionally rose to a career-high No.25 in singles, relished the identical bond between his countrymen and praised the platform for group success that Davis Cup offered.
“I believe to play on a Davis Cup group and win a few occasions after which be captain was, that for me is essentially the most memorable factor in my profession,” he stated. “The nerves that you just expertise enjoying in your nation is unparalleled for me. The stress that you just realized to take care of and generally not deal so nicely with is the most effective studying curve {that a} younger tennis participant can have.”
The Davis Cup Finals will likely be broadcast stay in Australia on the 9 Community. Protection of the primary tie towards France begins at 12am AEST on Wednesday 11 September.
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