Rome, Italy, 17 May 2023 | Leigh Rogers
Jason Kubler and Alex de Minaur’s winning run at the Italian Open has come to an end.
Top seeds Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Brit Neal Skupski scored a 6-4 6-4 victory today against the Aussie combination in the men’s doubles quarterfinals.
The world’s No.1 team proved too solid, not losing a service game in the 85-minute encounter.
This halts a career-best run in Rome for both 29-year-old Kubler and 24-year-old De Minaur, who were teaming up for the first time.
Storm Hunter, partnering Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the women’s doubles competition, is now the last Australian hope standing.
The fourth-seeded combination are through to the semifinals, where they’ll play Czech Marie Bouzkova and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
This is 28-year-old Hunter’s career-best result in Rome and marks her third career semifinal appearance at WTA 1000 level.
World No.11 Hunter is aiming to become only the second Australian to reach an Italian Open women’s doubles final in the past two decades – and the first since Ash Barty won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019.
Aussies in action – Rome
RESULTS
Men’s doubles, quarterfinals
[1] Wesley Koolhof (NED)/Neal Skupski (GBR) d Alex de Minaur (AUS)/Jason Kubler (AUS) 6-4 6-4
COMING UP
Women’s doubles, semifinals
[4] Storm Hunter (AUS)/Elise Mertens (BEL) v Marie Bouzkova (CZE)/Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)
> VIEW: Italian Open women’s doubles draw
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