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AO 2025: Perez targeting “top five” doubles goals | 20 January, 2025 | All News | News and Features | News and Events

AO 2025: Perez targeting “top five” doubles goals | 20 January, 2025 | All News | News and Features | News and Events

After advancing to the AO 2025 mixed doubles quarterfinals with Germany’s Kevin Krawietz, Ellen Perez revealed some big rankings goals.

Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2025 | Sean A’Hearn

With a new partner in both women’s and mixed doubles, Ellen Perez is hoping to take her game to the next level.

“Numbers-wise I’d love to crack top five; I got to [world] No.7 last year. Obviously chasing a [WTA] 1000 title and a [Grand] Slam, they’re the ones I haven’t been able to do,” Perez said.

Pairing with Germany’s Kevin Krawietz in mixed doubles at AO 2025, Perez came up against fellow Australians Priscilla Hon and Alex Bolt in the second round.

In a tight opening stanza, third-seeded Perez and Krawietz were the first to pounce, breaking late before serving out the set.

There were some beautiful net exchanges with great reactions and precision volleys from all four players. With not much separating the teams, it was Perez and Krawietz that took their chances, eventually prevailing 7-5 6-4.

Sporting a nasty bruise to her right eye sustained during a women’s doubles match with Belgian Elise Mertens yesterday, Perez said the black eye didn’t affect her performance.

“I maybe wasn’t 100 per cent but I knew I could do pretty much everything to at least 90 per cent to give us a good chance,” she said.

“And even today the swelling’s gone down. It’s pretty purple but it didn’t affect me today.”

Perez noted the bittersweet feeling of playing fellow Australians, revealing a little-known secret concerning one of her opponents.

“Playing Aussies especially at home, it’s a weird feeling ‘cause you want to get the Aussie fans behind you but I know (Alex) Bolty and Pri (Hon) really well and they’re big servers, big ball-strikers.”

“Bolty’s my housemate now so we had a bit of banter, a bit of back and forth between us. I told him I’d cut the contract if he beat me,” she laughed.

Perez and Krawietz next face another Australian pair in John-Patrick Smith and Kim Birrell – a potentially challenging match-up according to Perez.

“It’s not going to be an easy match. I know JP’s a lefty. He’s…

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