Three Australian stars playing for final spots at Roland Garros | 9 June, 2023 | All News | News and Features | News and Events

Ellen Perez is determined to continue a career-best run in the women’s doubles competition at Roland Garros.

The 27-year-old Australian and her American partner Nicole Melichar-Martinez are through to the semifinals and hoping to advance to their first Grand Slam final as a team.

This is world No.15 Perez’s second major semifinal appearance, having also reached this stage at last year’s US Open alongside Melichar-Martinez.

Heath Davidson also has a chance today to earn a place in a Roland Garros final.

The 36-year-old Australian was a quad wheelchair doubles finalist in Paris last year alongside Brazil’s Ymanitu Silva. This year, he is partnering Canadian Robert Shaw.

Davidson and Shaw have played six tournaments together so far in 2023 and won eight of their 13 matches.

“We decided to see how we’d go together at the end of last year,” Davidson said of his partnership with world No.3 Shaw.

“That was in November and now it’s June and we’re going into Roland Garros as the number two seeds, which is awesome.”

Meanwhile, Charlie Camus is set to contest his first Grand Slam semifinal in the boys’ doubles competition.

The 16-year-old from Canberra is aiming to become the first Australian to reach a boys’ doubles final in Paris since Akira Santillan in 2014.

Roland Garros is broadcast live in Australia on the Nine Network, with coverage beginning from 10.40pm AEST, and Stan Sport.

Aussies in action on day 13:

[6] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE)/Wang Xinyu (CHN)
Women’s doubles, semifinals, Court Simonne-Mathieu, second match
Perez and world No.14 Melichar-Martinez are one of the world’s top teams and have won 12 of their past 15 Grand Slam matches. The sixth seeds face a surprise packet in the semifinals, with Hsieh and Wang contesting only their second tournament together. The 37-year-old Hsieh is a former world No.1 and won the Roland Garros women’s doubles title in 2014, but is contesting just her fourth tournament in a comeback after a 16-month hiatus. Hsieh and Wang, a 21-year-old Chinese player ranked No.105, have not lost a set this tournament and have eliminated three seeded teams to reach the semifinals.

[2] Heath Davidson (AUS)/Robert Shaw (CAN) v Kuji Sugeno (JPN)/David Wagner (USA)
Quad wheelchair doubles, semifinals, Court 13, first match (from 7pm AEST)
Davidson is looking to advance to a second consecutive doubles final at Roland Garros. The world No.4 and his Canadian partner, 33-year-old Shaw, face two experienced campaigners in the semifinals. World No.5 Wagner is a three-time Roland Garros doubles champion. The 49-year-old American is partnering world No.7 Sugeno, a 41-year-old from Japan who eliminated Davidson in the singles competition earlier this week.

Charlie Camus (AUS)/Jan Hrazdil (CZE) v Lorenzo Sciahbasi (ITA)/Gabriele Vulpitta (ITA)
Boys’ doubles, semifinals, Court 14, fourth match
World No.50 Camus and Czech partner Hrazdil, an 18-year-old ranked No.48, are proving a formidble team. Their record is six wins from seven matches in their two tournaments together. They’ll look to continue this impressive form against a pair of 17-year-old Italians contesting their first Grand Slam tournament. World No.90 Sciahbasi and world No.55 Vulpitta defeated the fifth seeds in straight sets in the quarterfinals.