The Australian Open 2024 has wrapped up for another year with Matt Ebden leading the charge for WA with his third Grand Slam doubles victory and first men’s doubles win at the Australian Open.
A total of eight West Australians competed in the Australian Open 2024, ranging from qualifying singles to doubles. See how they fared:
Storm Hunter
Qualified for the women’s singles main draw the hard way, going through the qualifiers. Hunter then won her first and second round matches to reach the third round, her best achievement in a Grand Slam. This is the deepest an Aussie qualifier has progressed in an Australian Open women’s singles draw in 39 years.
Hunter teamed up with Matt Ebden in the mixed doubles but went down to fellow Australians Jaimee Fourlis and Andrew Harris in the second round.
Hunter partnered with Katarina Siniakova in the women’s doubles and made it to the semi final. Hunter came up against former doubles partner Elise Mertens but went down 5-7, 6-1, 3-6 in a tight three set match.
Matt Ebden
Ebden teamed up with Storm Hunter in the mixed doubles but went down to fellow Australians Jaimee Fourlis and Andrew Harris in the second round.
In the men’s doubles, Ebden has teamed up with partner Rohan Bopanna. The pair advanced to the Semi Finals after defeating Argentinians Maximo Gonzalez and Andrez Molteni 6-4 7-6. The pair then defeated Tomas Machac and Zhzihen Zhang 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 to reach the final.
The second-seeded duo captured their maiden Australian Open men’s doubles title, after surviving a spirited challenge from Italian combination Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
Ebden and Bopanna managed to triumph 7-6(0) 7-5 to secure their first major title as a team.
“It’s been such a dream come true to win here in Australia in front of our home fans,” a proud Ebden beamed.
There was only a single break across a fiercely contested 99-minute final, with Ebden and Bopanna striking in the 11th game of the second set.
The second seeds finished the high-quality encounter with 26 winners and zero unforced errors.
“It was such a tough final today, I think it could have gone either way,” Ebden said.
It is 36-year-old Ebden’s third Grand Slam crown, adding to his Australian Open mixed doubles title won in 2013 and the Wimbledon men’s doubles title in 2022, and Bopanna’s second, following his Roland Garros mixed doubles victory in 2017.
“What an amazing tournament,” Ebden said.
“Thanks to my partner Rohan. He’s 43 years old and this is his first men’s Grand Slam doubles win. Age truly is not a number for this guy. He’s young at heart, he’s a champion, he’s a warrior.”
Currently sitting at a career-high of No.4, Ebden is set to rise to a new peak of world No.2.
Tristan Schoolkate
Made it to the second round of the men’s qualifying singles and teamed up with Adam Walton but failed to make it past the first round.
John Peers
Competed in the men’s doubles with Harri Heliovaara and made it to the second round. In the mixed doubles, Peers teamed up with Kimberly Birrell but lost in the first round.
Talia Gibson
Gibson scored a milestone victory in the women’s qualifying singles competition before going down in the second round. The wildcard entrant upset a higher-ranked opponent at Melbourne Park to record their first wins at Grand Slam level.
In the women’s doubles, Gibson joined fellow Australian Priscilla Hon but went down in three sets in the first round.
Taylah Preston
Preston was awarded a main-draw singles wildcards for Australian Open 2024 on the back of a strong 2023 season but went down in the opening round to 19th seed Elina Svitolina in straight sets.
In the women’s doubles, Preston partnered with Arina Rodionova, with the pair making it to the second round.
Maddison Inglis
Inglis was one step away from qualifying in the main draw of the women’s singles but unfortunately went down in the final round of the women’s qualifying singles in an enthralling three-set battle against Daria Snigur. Inglis fought back after dropping the 1st set but couldn’t finish it off 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.
In the women’s doubles, Inglis made it to the second round with partner Destanee Aiava going down to fellow West Aussie Storm Hunter and Katarina Siniakova.
Astra Sharma
Sharma went down to Maria Timofeeva 6-2 6-4 in the second round of the women’s qualifying singles. In the women’s doubles, Sharma teamed up with Kaylah McPhee but lost in the first round to WA’s Taylah Preston and Arina Rodionova.
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