Former University of North Carolina men’s tennis star Rinky Hijikata continues to make big news as a professional and has reached the Australian Open doubles final in just his second year as a pro.
The former Tar Heel, who played in Chapel Hill in 2020 and 2021 and helped Carolina win the 2021 ITA Team Indoor National Championship, is a native of Australia. Hijikata teamed with countryman Jason Kubler as a wildcard entry in the Australian Open, and the duo has won five matches in a row to reach the final.
They upset the top-seeded doubles team of Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski in the quarterfinals on Wednesday in Melbourne by a score of 6-3, 6-1. In Thursday’s semifinals, Hijikata and Kubler beat eighth-seeded Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos by a 6-4, 6-2 score.
Hijikata and Kubler are just the sixth all-Australian duo to reach the Australian Open finals in Melbourne Park’s 35-year history.
Hijikata has joined Don Johnson, Tripp Phillips (men’s doubles) and William Blumberg (mixed doubles) as Tar Heels to have reached a Grand Slam semifinal.
Hijikata and Kubler will face France’s Hugo Nys and Poland’s Jan Zieliński, to be played on Sunday. The match will begin at midnight Eastern Time on Sunday morning and will be televised on ESPN.
On FIRE 🔥
Rinky and Kubes are putting on a show on Rod Laver Arena right now 🎬 #GoAussies • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/fQ9xwhERij
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 26, 2023
IN DREAMLAND 🤩
Rinky and Kubes power through to the men’s doubles final after a straight sets victory, 6-4 6-2 🔥🙌#GoAussies • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/sUQcJpEcD2
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 26, 2023
Hijikata and Kubler are only the sixth all-Australian team to reach an @AustralianOpen men’s doubles final in Melbourne Park’s 35-year history 🇦🇺#GoAussies #AusOpenhttps://t.co/EgoMgjBSHW
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 26, 2023
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