Aussie wildcards eradicate fourth seeds at Australian Open 2024 | 20 January, 2024 | All Information | Information and Options | Information and Occasions

Olivia Gadecki and Marc Polmans scored an epic opening-round win as we speak within the Australian Open 2024 combined doubles competitors.

The Aussie wildcards made a blistering begin towards the fourth seeds, world No.19 Chan Hao-Ching and world No.11 Santiago Gonzalez, of their showdown at Kia Area.

They constructed a 6-4 5-2 lead, nonetheless this benefit rapidly evaporated as their higher-ranked opponents got here charging again and saved a handful of match factors.

The 21-year-old Gadecki and 26-year-old Polmans then staged an unimaginable comeback of their very own from 2-7 within the deciding match tiebreak.

The Aussie pair saved two match factors earlier than ultimately clinching a hard-fought victory on their sixth match level.

“It was a brilliant shut match as we speak,” world No.237 Polmans mentioned after their 6-4 6-7(5) [12-10] triumph.

“We had a lead within the second set, however our opponents performed superb, clutch tennis.”

Gadecki and Polmans proved shock packets at Australian Open 2023, the place they reached the combined doubles semifinals. Reuniting this summer season, they’d love to raised that end result.

“I feel we each consider we will, however we’re simply going to take it one match at a time, take pleasure in it and see what occurs,” world No.93 Gadecki mentioned.

“Enjoying right here in entrance of family and friends is superior, so we wish to keep right here longer and hopefully hold successful,” Polmans added.

Ellen Perez and her Dutch accomplice Jean-Julien Rojer additionally saved a match level of their first-round victory towards Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara.

The eighth seeds held their nerve to edge out a 6-7(6) 7-6(4) [12-10] victory.

It proved a difficult day for Aussie rivals within the males’s doubles competitors, with 5 Australians shedding within the second spherical.

This included defending champions Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler, who misplaced a three-set battle towards German duo Yannick Hanfmann and Dominik Koepfer.

There was higher information for world No.1 Storm Hunter within the ladies’s doubles competitors, with the Aussie advancing to the third spherical alongside Czech accomplice Katerina Siniakova.

The third seeds got here inside two factors of exiting in straight units, earlier than combating again to document a 2-6 7-5 6-1 win towards Aussie wildcards Destanee Aiava and Maddison Inglis.

Aussies in motion – Australian Open

TODAY’S RESULTS
Males’s doubles, second spherical
[4] Marcel Granollers (ESP)/Horacio Zeballos (ARG) d John-Patrick Smith (AUS)/Andreas Mies (GER) 6-4 6-4
[7] Hugo Nys (MON)/Jan Zielinski (POL) d Max Purcell (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS) 6-3 7-6(5) 6-1
Yannick Hanfmann (GER)/Dominik Koepfer (GER) d [16] Rinky Hijikata (AUS)/Jason Kubler (AUS) 6-4 4-6 6-3

Ladies’s doubles, second spherical
[3] Storm Hunter (AUS)/Katerina Siniakova (CZE) d [WC] Destanee Aiava (AUS)/Maddison Inglis (AUS) 2-6 7-5 6-1

Blended doubles, first spherical
[8] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) d Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR)/Harri Heliovaara (FIN) 6-7(6) 7-6(4) [12-10]
[WC] Olivia Gadecki (AUS)/Marc Polmans (AUS) d [4] Chan Hao-Ching (TPE)/Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) 6-4 6-7(5) [12-10]
[3] Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE)/Jan Zielinski (POL) d [WC] Kimberly Birrell (AUS)/John Friends (AUS) 6-2 6-2
Liudmila Samsonova/Andrea Vavassori (ITA) d [WC] Daria Saville (AUS)/Luke Saville (AUS) 6-3 6-3

COMING UP
Males’s doubles, third spherical
[2] Matt Ebden (AUS)/Rohan Bopanna (IND) v [14] Wesley Koolhof (NED)/Nikola Mektic (CRO)