John Friends and Rinky Hijikata scored a giant win within the opening spherical of the Wimbledon 2024 males’s doubles competitors.
London, Nice Britain, 5 July 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Feelings ran excessive as British favorite Andy Murray returned to Wimbledon’s well-known Centre Court docket in the present day, teaming together with his brother Jamie for the primary time at his dwelling Grand Slam.
Murray confirmed earlier this week that that is the ultimate Grand Slam match of his illustrious profession. The 37-year-old had hoped to contest singles, however a again harm compelled him to concentrate on doubles as a substitute.
This prompted match organisers, conscious of the palpable fan curiosity, to schedule an opening-round males’s doubles match at Centre Court docket for the primary time in 29 years.
Nonetheless, the previous world No.1’s want for one final fairytale run in entrance of an adoring crowd was thwarted by the all-Aussie duo of Rinky Hijikata and John Friends.
The 23-year-old Hijikata and 35-year-old Friends, who’re teaming up for the primary time, ran out 7-6(6) 6-4 victors in a match they described as “surreal”.
“To have the ability to step out and share it with Andy was one thing actually particular,” Friends informed tennis.com.au.
“It was an honour to be on the market with him. He’s been a real champion of the sport. We have been lucky sufficient to play stage and maintain what we needed to. It was Andy’s night time, however sadly, we upset it for him.”
It was the third time that Friends had competed on the well-known court docket and Hijikata’s first look.
“The one time I’d ever been on the market was watching Geese (James Duckworth) towards Novak Djokovic a few years in the past, so it was fairly cool,” Hijikata stated.
“I feel that’s probably the most prestigious court docket in tennis and the one you dream of enjoying on if you’re a child. To have the prospect to play on there and play towards somebody like Andy and Jamie was actually particular. I cherished each second of it.”
Hijikata and Friends have been amongst 5 Australian males to attain first-round wins in the present day within the males’s doubles competitors, with Max Purcell, Jordan Thompson and John-Patrick Smith all advancing too.
In girls’s doubles, Ellen Perez and American associate Nicole Melichar-Martinez made a powerful begin to their Wimbledon marketing campaign.
Contemporary from claiming a WTA title in Germany final week, the third seeds continued their red-hot type to dismiss British wildcards Sarah Beth Gray and Tara Moore in a swift 47 minutes.
Olivia Gadecki additionally scored an opening-round victory alongside France’s Elixane Lechemia, benefiting from their late elevation into the draw as alternates.
Aussies in motion – Wimbledon
RESULTS
Males’s doubles, first spherical
[15] Max Purcell (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS) d [WC] Jay Clarke (GBR)/Marcus Willis (GBR) 6-4 6-2
Rinky Hijikata (AUS)/John Friends (AUS) d [WC] Andy Murray (GBR)/Jamie Murray (GBR) 7-6(6) 6-4
John-Patrick Smith (AUS)/Andreas Mies (GER) d Victor Cornea (ROU)/Fabian Marozsan (HUN) 6-2 6-2
Girls’s doubles, first spherical
[3] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) d [WC] Sarah Beth Gray (GBR)/Tara Moore (GBR) 6-1 6-2
[Alt] Olivia Gadecki (AUS)/Elixane Lechemia (FRA) d Katarzyna Piter (POL)/Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) 6-4 6-3
[9] Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR)/Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) d Daria Saville (AUS)/Yuan Yue (CHN) 6-1 6-4
COMING UP
Males’s doubles, first spherical
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)/Denis Shapovalov (CAN) v Nicolas Mahut (FRA)/Skander Mansouri (TUN)
Males’s doubles, second spherical
[2] Matt Ebden (AUS)/Rohan Bopanna (IND) v Constantin Frantzen (GER)/Hendrik Jebens (GER)
[15] Max Purcell (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS) v Fabrice Martin (FRA)/Matwe Middelkoop (NED)
John-Patrick Smith (AUS)/Andreas Mies (GER) v [3] Rajeev Ram (USA)/Joe Salisbury (GBR)
Rinky Hijikata (AUS)/John Friends (AUS) v [9] Neal Skupski (GBR)/Michael Venus (NZL)
> VIEW: Wimbledon 2024 males’s doubles draw
Girls’s doubles, second spherical
[3] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v Timea Babos (HUN)/Nadiia Kichenok (UKR)
[Alt] Olivia Gadecki (AUS)/Elixane Lechemia (FRA) v [4] Katerina Siniakova (CZE)/Taylor Townsend (USA)
> VIEW: Wimbledon 2024 girls’s doubles draw
Blended doubles, first spherical
[1] Matt Ebden (AUS)/Ellen Perez (AUS) v Andres Molteni (ARG)/Asia Muhammad (USA)
John Friends (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v [3] Mate Pavic (CRO)/Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR)
Max Purcell (AUS)/Dayana Yastremska (UKR) v Nathaniel Lammons (USA)/Ena Shibahara (JPN)
> VIEW: Wimbledon 2024 blended doubles draw
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