Melbourne, Australia, 21 January 2022 | Leigh Rogers

Storm Sanders was the sole Aussie winner in Australian Open 2022 women’s doubles action today. However, the 27-year-old’s progression to the third round was far from smooth.

Sanders and American partner Caroline Dolehide needed two-hours and 57-minutes to overcome Japanese duo Eri Hozumi and Makoto Ninomiya in a second-round battle at Kia Arena, with the ninth seeds eventually prevailing 5-7 7-6(2) 7-6(7).

Packed crowds for doubles today 😍 @stormsanders94 & Caroline Dolehide • #AusOpen • #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/tnZASuSxVh

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2022

Hozumi and Ninomiya, the recently-crowned Adelaide International champions, served for the match at 5-4 in the second set. Yet 27-year-old Sanders and 23-year-old Dolehide kept their hopes alive with some spirited play.

After forcing a third set, Sanders and Dolehide then had to recover from a 2-5 deficit in the deciding match tiebreak. They did so superbly, winning eight of the final 10 points to secure a hard-fought victory.

This is a career-best effort for world No.27 Sanders, who had never progressed beyond the second round in nine previous Australian Open women’s doubles appearances.

Sam Stosur and China’s Zhang Shuai also found themselves in a three-set battle today, but lost to Poland’s Magda Linette and American Bernarda Pera.

Linette and Pera recorded a 6-7(6) 6-1 7-5 victory against the No.4 seeds and AO 2019 champions at John Cain Arena.

Second-seeded Japanese duo Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara eliminated Aussie wildcards Lizette Cabrera and Priscilla Hon, while Ellen Perez and Belgian partner Greet Minnen lost to fifth seeds Alexa Guarachi of Chile and American Nicole Melichar-Martinez.

Kimberly Birrell and Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz started promisingly in their second-round showdown with Swede Rebecca Peterson and Russian Anastasia Potapova, but were beaten in three sets.

In mixed doubles action, Melbourne locals Arina Rodionova and Marc Polmans combined to defeat Colombian pair Camila Osorio and Juan Sebastian Cabal in the first round. The Aussie wildcards scored a 4-6 6-3 [10-7] victory.

Ellen Perez and Dutch partner Matwe Middelkoop also advanced to the second round. They eliminated third-seeded American Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Colombian Robert Farah in straight sets this evening.

Australian Open 2022

TODAY’S RESULTS
Women’s doubles, second round
[9] Storm Sanders (AUS)/Caroline Dolehide (USA) d Eri Hozumi (JPN)/Makoto Ninomiya (JPN) 5-7 7-6(2) 7-6(7)
Magda Linette (POL)/Bernarda Pera (USA) d [4] Sam Stosur (AUS)/Zhang Shuai (CHN) 6-7(6) 6-1 7-5
[2] Shuko Aoyama (JPN)/Ena Shibahara (JPN) d [WC] Lizette Cabrera (AUS)/Priscilla Hon (AUS) 6-3 6-2
[5] Alexa Guarachi (CHI)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) d Ellen Perez (AUS)/Greet Minnen (BEL) 6-3 7-5
Rebecca Peterson (SWE)/Anastasia Potapova (RUS) d [WC] Kimberly Birrell (AUS)/Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (AUS) 4-6 6-4 6-2

Mixed doubles, first round
[WC] Arina Rodionova (AUS)/Marc Polmans (AUS) d Camila Osorio (COL)/Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) 4-6 6-3 [10-7]
[WC] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Matwe Middelkoop (NED) d [3] Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA)/Robert Farah (COL) 6-4 6-4

COMING UP
Women’s doubles, second round
Monique Adamczak (AUS)/Han Xinyun (CHN) v [1] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)/Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

Women’s doubles, third round
[9] Storm Sanders (AUS)/Caroline Dolehide (USA) v TBC

> VIEW: Australian Open 2022 women’s doubles draw

Mixed doubles, first round
[2] Zhang Shuai (CHN)/John Peers (AUS) v Andreja Klepac (SLO)/Joran Vliegen (BEL)
Storm Sanders (AUS)/Neal Skupski (GBR) v [8] Ena Shibahara (JPN)/Ben McLachlan (JPN)
[WC] Jaimee Fourlis (AUS)/Jason Kubler (AUS) v [7] Nina Stojanovic (SRB)/Mate Pavic (CRO)
[WC] Sam Stosur (AUS)/Matt Ebden (AUS) v Asia Muhammad (USA)/Fabrice Martin (FRA)
[WC] Astra Sharma (AUS)/John-Patrick Smith (AUS) v Lucie Hradecka (CZE)/Gonzalo Escobar (ECA)

Mixed doubles, second round
[WC] Arina Rodionova (AUS)/Marc Polmans (AUS) v TBC
[WC] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Matwe Middelkoop (NED) v Sania Mirza (IND)/Rajeev Ram (USA)

> VIEW: Australian Open 2022 mixed doubles draw

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