As the Australian Open 2024 progresses into its thrilling final stages, Day 12 promises to be a spectacle of some high-octane tennis at Melbourne Park.
In the men’s doubles semifinals on January 25, the seasoned veteran Rohan Bopanna, at the age of 43, is on the cusp of making history as he aims to become the oldest men’s doubles champion at the Australian Open. Alongside his partner Matthew Ebden, the duo will face off against Tomas Machac and Zheng Zhizhen in what is expected to be a fiercely contested match.
On Wednesday, Bopanna created history as he became oldest No.1 ranked men’s doubles player in the world as he and Ebden downed 6th seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4, 7-6 (5) in an hour and 46 minutes in the men’s doubles quarter-final of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The duo came close to winning the US Open 2023 and will now aim to get their first title.
The women’s singles semifinals are headlined by a blockbuster match between Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, and Coco Gauff, the No. 4 seed in what is a rematch from the US Open 2023 final. This encounter is being billed as a defacto final, with both women holding winning-streaks heading into the contest.
Sabalenka is yet to lose a match at the Rod Laver Arena since 2021, while Gauff is yet to face defeat in 2024.
The Belarussian star, known for her powerful game, will look to overpower the young American sensation, who had defeated her in the US Open final last year and continue her title defence in Melbourne.
The other women’s semifinal is set to be an unpredictable affair with No. 12 seed Zheng Qinwen taking on the unseeded Anna Kalinskaya. Both players have had remarkable runs in the tournament and will be eager to continue their journey to the final.
