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Ebden bows out of Wimbledon, but Davidson makes final

3 minute read

Australian Matt Ebden has failed to successfully defend his Wimbledon men's doubles title but Heath Davidson has made the quad wheelchair doubles showdown.

MATTHEW EBDEN.
MATTHEW EBDEN. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

There will be no back-to-back Wimbledon triumphs for Australian doubles specialist Matt Ebden after he was beaten in the men's semi-final alongside Indian partner Rohan Bopanna.

The veteran pair dropped serve at a crucial stage of both sets to bow out 7-5 6-4 to the Dutch-Anglo combination of Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski on Thursday.

Ebden's exit leaves Storm Hunter, in the women's doubles, and Heath Davidson, in the quad wheelchair doubles, as Australia's only remaining senior hopes at the championships.

Sixth-seeded Ebden and Bopanna were up against both the No.1 seeds and a home crowd keen to see a British winner.

The first set turned in game 11 when Ebden's serve was broken before Skupski then served out to love to secure the opening set.

Game nine was key in the second stanza with Bopanna's serve broken. Koolhof served out this time, finishing with an ace.

Perth's Ebden, the Australian Open mixed doubles champion, won last year's event, partnering compatriot Max Purcell.

Davidson reached his doubles final with Canadian partner Robert Shaw, defeating Anglo-American duo Greg Slade and David Wagner 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.

In the final they will face Dutch No.1 seeds Sam Schroder and Niels Vink.

Davidson, from Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula, has won four Australian Open doubles titles with Dylan Alcott but this is his first Wimbledon final, having previously lost two singles semis and one doubles semi.

Hunter and Belgian partner Elise Mertens, the no.3 seeds and now tournament favourites, play their women's doubles semi-final against Caroline Dolehide (US) and Shuai Zhang (China) on Friday (2200 AEST).

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