New York, USA, 3 September 2021 | Leigh Rogers

Eight Australian players scored doubles wins in day four action at the US Open.

Sam Stosur and China’s Zhang Shuai recorded a commanding 6-4 6-0 opening-round victory against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini and Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann.

The No.14 seeds won the final eight games of the match and conceded just nine points in total in the second set. The Australian Open 2019 champions, who reunited last month to claim the Cincinnati title, have now won six consecutive matches together.

Anastasia Rodionova made an incredible Grand Slam return, combining with sister Arina to upset fourth-seeded American-Dutch combination Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Demi Schuurs.

The 39-year-old is contesting her first major tournament since Australian Open 2019 and today was only her second tour-level match in a return from maternity leave. That did not stop the Rodionova sisters from posting an impressive 6-2 6-4 victory against one of the world’s top teams.

It is also a special result for 31-year-old Arina Rodionova, as it is her career-first win in a US Open women’s doubles draw.

Ellen Perez and Czech partner Kveta Peschke made a winning start to their campaign too, with the No.16 seeds scoring a comprehensive victory against Serbia’s Ivana Jorovic and Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove of the Netherlands.

In men’s doubles action, John Peers improved his career record in US Open first-round matches to eight wins from nine matches. The world No.25 and Slovak partner Filip Polasek scored a straight-sets victory against British duo Luke Bambridge and Ken Skupski.

Max Purcell scored his career-first US Open doubles win, combining with fellow Australian Matt Ebden to defeat Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic and American Brandon Nakashima in two tiebreak sets.

While John Millman and Brazilian partner Thiago Monteiro also advanced to the second round, defeating all-Aussie duo Alex de Minaur and Matt Reid in straight sets. It is 32-year-old Millman’s first doubles win at the US Open since 2017.

Aussies in action – US Open

TODAY’S RESULTS
Men’s doubles, first round
[8] John Peers (AUS)/Filip Polasek (SVK) d Luke Bambridge (GBR)/Ken Skupski (GBR) 6-3 6-3
Max Purcell (AUS)/Matthew Ebden (AUS) d Dusan Lajovic (SRB)/Brandon Nakashima (USA) 7-6(4) 7-6(2)
John Millman (AUS)/Thiago Monteiro (BRA) d Alex de Minaur (AUS)/Matt Reid (AUS) 6-3 6-2
[7] Jamie Murray (GBR)/Bruno Soares (BRA) d Alexei Popyrin (AUS)/Tommy Paul (USA) 6-4 6-2
Ricardas Berankis (LTU)/Benoit Paire (FRA) d Luke Saville (AUS)/John-Patrick Smith (AUS) 6-4 6-4
Jeremy Chardy (FRA)/Fabrice Martin (FRA) d Marc Polmans (AUS)/Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3

Women’s doubles, first round
[14] Sam Stosur (AUS)/Zhang Shuai (CHN) d Jasmine Paolini (ITA)/Jil Teichmann (SUI) 6-4 6-0
[16] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Kveta Peschke (CZE) d Ivana Jorovic (SRB)/Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove (NED) 6-2 6-2
Anastasia Rodionova (AUS)/Arina Rodionova (AUS) d [4] Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA)/Demi Schuurs (NED) 6-2 6-4
Tereza Martincova (CZE)/Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) d Astra Sharma (AUS)/Hayley Carter (USA) 7-5 6-2

COMING UP
Men’s doubles, first round
James Duckworth (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS) v [13] Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Ivan Dodig (CRO)

Women’s doubles, first round
[10] Storm Sanders (AUS)/Caroline Dolehide (USA) v [WC] Lauren Davis (USA)/Ingrid Neel (USA)
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS)/Andrea Petkovic (GER) v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)/Elena Rybakina (KAZ)

Mixed doubles, first round
Zhang Shuai (CHN)/John Peers (AUS) v [1] Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA)/Ivan Dodig (CRO)
Sam Stosur (AUS)/Bruno Soares (BRA) v [3] Alexa Guarachi (CHI)/Neal Skupski (GBR)
Storm Sanders (AUS)/Luke Saville (AUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI)/Filip Polasek (SVK)

Men’s doubles, second round
[8] John Peers (AUS)/Filip Polasek (SVK) v Oliver Marach (AUT)/Philipp Oswald (AUT) or Jonathan Erlich (ISR)/Lloyd Harris (RSA)
Max Purcell (AUS)/Matthew Ebden (AUS) v Hubert Hurkacz (POL)/Szymon Walkow (POL)
John Millman (AUS)/Thiago Monteiro (BRA) v [4] Rajeev Ram (USA)/Joe Salisbury (GBR)

Women’s doubles, second round
[14] Sam Stosur (AUS)/Zhang Shuai (CHN) v Miyu Kato (JPN)/Sabrina Santamaria (USA)
[16] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Kveta Peschke (CZE) v Greet Minnen (BEL)/Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL)
Anastasia Rodionova (AUS)/Arina Rodionova (AUS) v Anhelina Kalinina (UKR)/Renata Voracova (CZE)