Matt Ebden and John Peers are eyeing a spot in the Paris 2024 men’s doubles gold medal match.
World No.3 doubles player Matt Ebden and John Peers will play American No.3 seeds Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the semifinals for a chance to advance to the men’s doubles gold medal match.
Ebden and Peers are seeking to win Australia’s 10th Olympic tennis medal since 1988.
“There are no easy matches out here,” said Peers, the three-time Olympian.
“You just have to bring your game face and enjoy it. It’s not every day you get to wear the green and gold and to be able to do it is an absolute honour.
The Australian pair met when they were 16 years old at a tournament in regional Victoria.
Now, 20 years later, they are relishing in the opportunity of moving into the final stages of the men’s doubles competition at Paris 2024.
“To do it alongside a mate is even more fantastic. For us to be able to do it together, with our families in the crowd is something really special,” Peers said.
“We’re here to try and win gold, that’s what we have come here for.”
Ebden said the pair were continuing to build on their performances each day.
“It’s another good step, another stepping stone. We made no secret of our goal, we want to win. That’s why we are here. It’s another step in the right direction,” Ebden said.
Their road to the semifinals has seen the pair defeat Lebanon’s Hady Habib and Benjamin Hassan, before a second-round win over world No.1 doubles player Marcel Granollers and Pablo Carreno Busta from Spain and Wednesday’s quarterfinal victory against Germany’s Dominik Koepfer and Jan-Lennard Struff.
The Americans defeated British duo Andy Murray and Daniel Evans 6-2 6-4 today.
The winner of the semifinal will face off against another American pair, No.4 seeds Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, in Saturday’s gold medal match.
Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Tennis Day 7 preview
>VIEW: Olympics Day 7 order of play
Men’s doubles semifinal
Matt Ebden (AUS)/ John Peers (AUS) v [3] Taylor Fritz (USA)/ Tommy Paul (USA)