Aussie weekly wrap: Celebrating title-winning runs and career-best results
Alex de Minaur is the first Australian to win the men's singles title at 's-Hertogenbosch since Lleyton Hewitt in 2001.
's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, 17 June 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Alex de Minaur made a perfect start to his grass-court season, becoming the first Australian to win the singles title at an ATP tournament in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 23 years.
De Minaur’s long-time mentor, Lleyton Hewitt, had been the last Australian to triumph at the long-running Wimbledon lead-in event.
It proved a major highlight across an exciting week in Australian tennis, which saw nine players contest finals at professional level and several others post career-best results.
This week’s most outstanding performers include:
Alex de Minaur: The 25-year-old was crowned the singles champion at an ATP 250 tournament in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands). This is De Minaur’s ninth career ATP singles title and his second this season.
Aleksandar Vukic: The 28-year-old notched his biggest grass-court win, defeating world No.22 Karen Khachanov to reach the singles quarterfinals at the ATP 250 tournament in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. This was also Vukic’s deepest run at a tour-level grass-court event.
John-Patrick Smith: The 35-year-old teamed with German Andrea Mies to make the doubles semifinals at the ATP 250 tournament in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where they lost to the eventual champions in three tight sets.
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson: The 26-year-old Purcell and 30-year-old Thompson improved their season record as a team to 21 wins from 25 matches with a semifinal run at the ATP 250 tournament in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
James Duckworth: The 32-year-old recorded his first top-20 win since 2021, beating world No.14 Ben Shelton to reach the singles quarterfinals as a qualifier at an ATP 250 tournament in Stuttgart (Germany). This was Duckworth’s third tour-level quarterfinal appearance of the season.
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Kimberly Birrell: The 26-year-old advanced to her first tour-level grass-court quarterfinal as a qualifier at a WTA 250 tournament in Nottingham (Great Britain). The in-form Birrell has won 16 of her past 20 matches.
Daria Saville: The 30-year-old posted her eighth career top-50 win on grass, and just her second since 2019, to beat world No.42 Clara Burel in the opening round at the WTA 250 tournament in Nottingham.
John Peers: The 35-year-old teamed with Brit Marcus Willis to win the doubles title at an ATP Challenger tournament in Nottingham (Great Britain). This is Peers’ 42nd career doubles title and his first in 12 months.
Luke Saville: The 30-year-old was a doubles finalist alongside France’s Harold Mayot at an ATP Challenger tournament in Nottingham. This was Saville’s third doubles final appearance this year.
Seone Mendez: The 25-year-old advanced to the doubles semifinals at a WTA 125 tournament in Valenica (Spain) alongside partner Ekaterina Yashina.
Jaimee Fourlis and Petra Hule: The Aussie pair were doubles finalists at an ITF 35 tournament in Gdansk (Poland). This was 24-year-old Fourlis’ second doubles final of the season and 25-year-old Hule’s first.
Kaylah McPhee: The 26-year-old advanced to her first singles final since April 2023 at an ITF 15 tournament in Kursumlijska Banja (Serbia). McPhee was also a doubles finalist alongside Poland’s Zuzanna Pawlikowska.
Edward Winter: The 19-year-old won the doubles title at an ITF 15 tournament in Anseong (Korea) with Japan’s Kenta Miyoshi. This is Winter’s fifth career ITF doubles title and his first of the season.
Ethan Cook: The 21-year-old was a doubles finalist at the ITF 15 tournament in Anseong alongside Japan’s Naoki Tajima. This was Cook’s best result since July 2023.
Heath Davidson: The 37-year-old finished runners-up in the quad doubles event at an ITF wheelchair tennis tournament in Biot (France) with Turkey’s Ahmet Kaplan. This was Davidson’s sixth doubles final appearance this season.
Jerome Estephan: The 17-year-old won his second junior doubles title of the season at an ITF J60 tournament in Holte (Denmark), where he partnered Austrian Constantin Neubauer.
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