Aussie weekly wrap: Jones heads multiple Wimbledon finalists
Teenager Emerson Jones and doubles combination Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson fought for trophies at SW19 amid a string of Australian highlights.
London, 15 July 2024 | Dan Imhoff
Alex de Minaur led the charge into the second week at Wimbledon where he reached back-to-back Grand Slam singles quarterfinals on the heels of his run in Paris last month.
The 25-year-old suffered a bitter blow, however, when he was ruled out of his last-eight showdown against third seed Novak Djokovic due to a hip injury.
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson also flew the flag this week at the All England Club after they came with a point three times of securing the men’s doubles title, while 16-year-old Emerson Jones came within one win of joining Ash Barty as a girls’ singles champion on the grass.
> READ: De Minaur’s Wimbledon efforts rewarded with new career high
On Monday, there was also cause to celebrate 10 Australian men inside the world’s top 100 in the ATP singles rankings for the first time since January 1982.
This week’s most outstanding performers include:
Tristan Schoolkate: The 23-year-old reached the quarterfinals of the hard-court ATP Challenger event in Winnipeg, Canada to snap a four-match singles losing streak. It was his first quarterfinal since winning the Guangzhou Challenger in May.
Blake Mott: The 28-year-old was a quarterfinalist on hard court at the Nottingham ITF 25 event. Mott was bidding to reach his third ITF 25 semifinal this season after back-to-back runs to the last four – also at events in Nottingham – in April-May.
James McCabe: The 21-year-old reached his second straight ITF 25 hard-court quarterfinal in Nottingham. It was his fifth quarterfinal showing of the season.
Jesse Delaney: The 25-year-old made a quarterfinal at the ITF 15 hard-court event in Nakkhon Si Thammarat, Thailand for his second ITF quarterfinal of 2024.
> READ: Australian legends reflect on ‘extra special’ return at Wimbledon 2024
Edward Winter: The 19-year-old notched a quarterfinal at the ITF 15 clay event in Umag, Croatia. The teenager was aiming for back-to-back ITF semifinals after reaching the last four in Changwon, South Korea the week before.
Alicia Smith: The 27-year-old reached her second career final, and first in three years, at the ITF 15 event in Nakkhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. It was the first time Smith had passed a quarterfinal since her ITF Solarino title in November 2021.
Heath Davidson: The 37-year-old made the quarterfinals of the quad wheelchair singles at Wimbledon and the semifinals of the quad wheelchair doubles at Wimbledon alongside South African Donald Ramphadi. Davidson was aiming to reach the final of both events at SW19 for the second straight year.
Emerson Jones: The 16-year-old fell just short of claiming her maiden junior Grand Slam title at Wimbledon after she succumbed to Renata Jamrichova in a rematch of the Australian Open girls’ singles final. Jones also reached the semifinals of the girls’ doubles alongside Italian Vittoria Paganetti.
Jaimee Fourlis: A week after capturing her first singles title since February last year, the 24-year-old continued her winning ways in the Netherlands when she and compatriot Petra Hule claimed the ITF 75 doubles crown in The Hague. It marked a first title together from their second final this season, having fallen in the ITF 35 decider in Gdansk last month.
Petra Hule: The 25-year-old landed her first ITF clay-court doubles title alongside Fourlis in The Hague. It was Hule’s sixth ITF doubles title from 11 finals.
Alexandra Bozovic: The 25-year-old teamed up with Latvian Diana Marcinkevica to make the ITF 25 semifinals in Don Benito, Spain. In her fourth ITF doubles semifinal this season, Bozovic was bidding to add a second doubles trophy this season after triumphing in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
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