University of North Carolina Athletics
Kubler (left) and Hijikata will play for the Australian Open title
Photo by: Getty Images
Hijikata Reaches Australian Open Doubles Final
January 26, 2023 | Men's Tennis
Former University of North Carolina men's tennis star Rinky Hijikata continues to make big news as a professional and has reached the Australian Open doubles final in just his second year as a pro.
The former Tar Heel, who played in Chapel Hill in 2020 and 2021 and helped Carolina win the 2021 ITA Team Indoor National Championship, is a native of Australia. Hijikata teamed with countryman Jason Kubler as a wildcard entry in the Australian Open, and the duo has won five matches in a row to reach the final.
They upset the top-seeded doubles team of Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski in the quarterfinals on Wednesday in Melbourne by a score of 6-3, 6-1. In Thursday's semifinals, Hijikata and Kubler beat eighth-seeded Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos by a 6-4, 6-2 score.
Hijikata and Kubler are just the sixth all-Australian duo to reach the Australian Open finals in Melbourne Park's 35-year history.
Hijikata has joined Don Johnson, Tripp Phillips (men's doubles) and William Blumberg (mixed doubles) as Tar Heels to have reached a Grand Slam semifinal.
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Hijikata and Kubler will face France's Hugo Nys and Poland's Jan Zieliński, to be played on Saturday. The match will begin at approximately 5 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday morning (following the women's singles final, which begins at 3:30 a.m. ET) and will be televised on ESPN+.
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The former Tar Heel, who played in Chapel Hill in 2020 and 2021 and helped Carolina win the 2021 ITA Team Indoor National Championship, is a native of Australia. Hijikata teamed with countryman Jason Kubler as a wildcard entry in the Australian Open, and the duo has won five matches in a row to reach the final.
They upset the top-seeded doubles team of Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski in the quarterfinals on Wednesday in Melbourne by a score of 6-3, 6-1. In Thursday's semifinals, Hijikata and Kubler beat eighth-seeded Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos by a 6-4, 6-2 score.
Hijikata and Kubler are just the sixth all-Australian duo to reach the Australian Open finals in Melbourne Park's 35-year history.
Hijikata has joined Don Johnson, Tripp Phillips (men's doubles) and William Blumberg (mixed doubles) as Tar Heels to have reached a Grand Slam semifinal.
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Hijikata and Kubler will face France's Hugo Nys and Poland's Jan Zieliński, to be played on Saturday. The match will begin at approximately 5 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday morning (following the women's singles final, which begins at 3:30 a.m. ET) and will be televised on ESPN+.
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On FIRE 🔥
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 26, 2023
Rinky and Kubes are putting on a show on Rod Laver Arena right now 🎬 #GoAussies • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/fQ9xwhERij
IN DREAMLAND 🤩
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 26, 2023
Rinky and Kubes power through to the men's doubles final after a straight sets victory, 6-4 6-2 🔥🙌#GoAussies • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/sUQcJpEcD2
Hijikata and Kubler are only the sixth all-Australian team to reach an @AustralianOpen men's doubles final in Melbourne Park's 35-year history 🇦🇺#GoAussies #AusOpenhttps://t.co/EgoMgjBSHW
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 26, 2023
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