Aussie weekly wrap: Fifteen Australian players contest finals
Andrew Harris, Arina Rodionova, Luke Saville and Destanee Aiava were among the top-performing Australians this week.
Australia, 7 August 2023 | Leigh Rogers
Australian players continue to produce impressive performances on the world stage, with 15 contesting finals in the past week.
Six players – Arina Rodionova, Patrick Harper, Destanee Aiava, Kody Pearson, Luke Saville and Lily Fairclough – enjoyed title-winning runs.
The resurgent Rodionova won her biggest career singles title at an ITF 60 tournament in Spain. This improves her season record to 48 wins from 66 matches.
After missing six months last year with a wrist injury, Rodionova has won four titles from five finals appearances in 2023.
Harper and Pearson both enjoyed breakout weeks, securing their career-first ITF doubles titles.
This week’s most outstanding performers include:
Alex de Minaur: The 24-year-old was a singles finalist at the ATP 250 tournament in Los Cabos (Mexico). It was De Minaur’s 13th career tour-level final and his third this season. The Aussie No.1’s impressive run included a quarterfinal victory against world No.15 Tommy Paul, his fourth top-20 win of 2023.
> READ: De Minaur’s Los Cabos run ends in the final
Andrew Harris: The 29-year-old advanced to his career-first ATP doubles final at the ATP 250 tournament in Los Cabos, where he recorded a runner-up finish alongside Germany’s Dominik Koepfer. It was a breakout performance for Harris, who had only previously recorded one tour-level doubles victory.
Jordan Thompson: The 29-year-old scored two top-30 wins to reach the singles quarterfinals at an ATP 500 tournament in Washington (USA). This was Thompson’s third tour-level quarterfinal appearance this season and his career-first at ATP 500 level.
Heath Davidson: The 36-year-old reached the doubles final, with Canadian Robert Shaw, and singles quarterfinals at the British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships.
Marc Polmans and Matthew Romios: The 26-year-old Polmans and 24-year-old Romios made the doubles semifinals at an ATP Challenger in San Marino.
Akira Santillan: The 26-year-old advanced to the doubles semifinals with Brazilian Gabriel Roveri Sidney at an ATP Challenger in Luedenscheid (Germany).
Arina Rodionova: The 33-year-old won her biggest career singles title at an ITF 60 tournament in Barcelona (Spain). This is Rodionova’s 13th career ITF singles title – and first at ITF 60 level. Rodionova recorded four three-set triumphs to secure her fourth title of the season.
Olivia Gadecki: The 21-year-old was a doubles finalist and singles semifinalist at an ITF 60 tournament in Lexington (USA). Gadecki advanced to the doubles final, her sixth of the season, alongside American Dalayna Hewitt.
Patrick Harper: The 23-year-old won his first ITF doubles title, teaming with Japan’s
at an ITF 25 tournament in Decatur (USA).Destanee Aiava: The 23-year-old won the doubles title, alongside India’s
Talia Gibson: The 19-year-old was a singles finalist at the ITF 25 tournament in Foxhills. It was Gibson’s sixth career ITF singles final appearance and first this season.
Talia Gibson and Petra Hule: The Aussie duo finished runners-up in doubles at the ITF 25 tournament in Foxhills. It was 24-year-old Hule’s sixth ITF doubles final of the season and 19-year-old Gibson’s fifth.
Kody Pearson: The 24-year-old won his career-first doubles title at an ITF 15 tournament in Monastir (Tunisia) alongside Mexican Alan Fernando Rubio Fierros. Pearson also advanced to the singles semifinals.
Luke Saville: The in-form 29-year-old won his third consecutive ITF singles title with victory at the ITF 15 tournament in Caloundra (Australia). Saville has now won 15 consecutive matches and lost only two sets in the past three weeks.
Emerson Jones: In only her sixth professional tournament, the 15-year-old was a singles finalist at the ITF 15 tournament in Caloundra. Jones also made the doubles semifinals alongside Japan’s
> READ: Emerson Jones – A rising star of Australian tennis
Lily Fairclough: The 17-year-old won the women’s doubles title alongside New Zealand’s
> READ: Lily Fairclough – A rising star of Australian tennis
Jesse Delaney and Dayne Kelly: The 24-year-old Delaney and 33-year-old Kelly finished runners-up in the men’s doubles competition at the ITF 15 tournament in Caloundra. It was Delaney’s first doubles appearance on the ITF Tour.
> READ: Rising stars impress at Caloundra International
Ava Beck: The 14-year-old claimed her first ITF junior singles title, winning a J30 tournament in Lautoka (Fiji). Beck defeated 15-year-old Australian Charlotte Vanstone McGrath in the final. Beck and Vanstone McGrath also won the girls’ doubles title together.
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