For the first time since 2005, six Australian players have progressed to the second round in the US Open mixed doubles event.
New York, USA, 3 September 2022 | Leigh Rogers
Six Australian players have advanced to the second round in the US Open mixed doubles competition – the most to reach this stage in 17 years.
Sam Stosur and Matt Ebden needed only 56 minutes to secure a first-round win against Slovenia’s Andreja Klepac and Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez in New York today. The Australian Open 2021 and Wimbledon 2022 finalists recorded a 6-3 6-3 victory, hitting 35 winners to 10 in a dominant display.
Contesting their sixth Grand Slam tournament as a team, world No.34 Ebden believes their partnership continues to strengthen.
“It’s rare to form mixed doubles partnerships that have longevity,” said Ebden, who is making his mixed doubles debut at Flushing Meadows this week. “And that really plays a good role in some of those key moments, key feelings, key points. You know where each other’s at, you know what each other’s going to do, how they’re going to move. And even just personally, off the court, we get on really well, we enjoy our practices and warm-ups.”
Storm Sanders and John Peers were impressive in their team debut, comfortably overcoming American wildcards Catherine Harrison and Robert Galloway. The fourth-seeded Aussies posted a 6-3 7-5 win in 70 minutes.
Thanasi Kokkinakis was the only Australian in the draw not to progress to the second round. The world No.22 and Belarusian partner Victoria Azarenka bowed out today against American wildcards Caty McNally and William Blumberg in straight sets.
In women’s doubles action, Ellen Perez and American Nicole Melichar-Martinez survived a second-round scare to continue their winning run. The No.10 seeds defeated American wildcards, 17-year-old Reese Brantmeier and 16-year-old Ngounoue, 6-7(5) 6-2 6-2.
This is Perez and Melichar-Martinez’s sixth consecutive win and improves their team record to 14 victories from their past 16 matches. It also equals 26-year-old Perez’s career-best result at the US Open.
Unfortunately, Luke Saville’s career-best US Open run in the men’s doubles competition ended in the second round. The 28-year-old Australian and Russian partner Aslan Karatsev lost to world No.1 Joe Salisbury and world No.2 Rajeev Ram, with the top seeds and defending champions recording a 6-4 6-3 victory.
Aussies in action – US…
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