3 minute read

Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter are the only Australian doubles players left at Wimbledon after losses spelled the end for four compatriots.

Australian chances of Wimbledon glory have diminished further after a trio of defeats, but Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter are still standing.

Though the nation has Heath Davidson still competing in the quad wheelchairs draw and representation in the girls juniors, Ebden and Hunter are Australia's only doubles players remaining in the Championships.

Ebden and men's doubles partner Rohan Bopanna of India beat David Pel (Netherlands) and Reese Stadler (US) 7-5 4-6 7-6 (10-5) on Tuesday to reach the quarter-finals.

There they will meet unseeded Dutch duo Tallon Griekspoor and Bart Stevens, who put out Aussie John Peers and Brazilian partner Marcelo Melo. The No.16 seeds lost 7-5 6-4 in 78 minutes.

However Ebden and compatriot Ellen Perez are out of the mixed doubles, defeated by home crowd-backed British wildcard duo Jonny O'Mara and Olivia Nicholls 7-5 7-5.

Hunter and Belgian partner Elise Mertens are in the quarters of the women's doubles after Czech pair Marketa Vondrousova and Miriam Kolodziejova withdrew due to singles semi-finalist Vondrousova having an ankle injury.

With 17 wins from their 22 matches together in 2023, confidence is growing ahead of a last-eight showdown with British wildcards Naiktha Bains and Maia Lumsden.

"It's been a lot of fun," Hunter on The AO Show podcast last week.

"(Mertens) She's someone that's had a lot of experience. She's won grand slams, she's been world No.1 in doubles. So just using her to help me as well, and believe in myself in those moments - that's been really great."

Max Purcell, who won the men's doubles with Ebden last year, is out. Purcell and fellow Australian Jordan Thompson battled hard against No.1 seeds Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof, but were beaten 6-3 7-6 (7-3).

The second set lasted more than an hour, but from 3-3 in the tiebreak the Anglo-Dutch favourites closed it out.