By Richard Paglaro | @TennisNow | Saturday, August 3, 2024Photo credit score: Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty
Perth neighbors Matthew Ebden and John Friends rode a red-clay comeback path to strike gold for Australia.
Down a set and a 2-4, Aussie pair Ebden and Friends staged a fierce rally keeping off Group USA’s Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-7(6), 7-6(1), 10-8 to win the Paris Olympic doubles gold medal in a dramatic duel at Roland Garros.
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The Individuals saved three gold-medal factors rallying from 5-9 right down to 8-9 within the decisive 10-point match tiebreaker.
Then Friends delivered immediate redemption.
Friends, who missed a straightforward point-blank volley on the third match level, got here proper again with an amazing deep volley that caught the baseline earlier than he smashed away the ultimate shot delivering Australia’s first mens’ doubles gold medal in 28 years.
The long-time pals and neighbors are the primary Aussies to win the doubles gold medals since Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge gained gold on the 1996 Atlanta Video games.
When it was over, the Aussie pair embraced then celebrated with a household group hug hoisting their children within the air.
“It is wonderful to have the household and pals within the crowd. Matt’s son is right here as properly,” Friends informed NBC’s Britney Eurtock afterward. “We acquired to share it with our households. Matt and I have been simply saying: We are able to’t consider it. It is what we hoped for a number of months in the past, however now it’s a actuality. We’re really gold medalists.”
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It is a gut-wrenching loss for Krajicek and Ram, who constructed a one-set, 4-2 lead and have been two holds from gold.
“You play your coronary heart out on your nation in these moments,” Ram mentioned. “We have been so shut however we couldn’t fairly get it. It’s great to win the silver as a result of I really feel we genuinely gained the silver, nevertheless it’s powerful.”
Krajicek and Ram, who knocked off 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and four-time main title holder Carlos Alcaraz, en path to the gold-medal match fell behind 2-6 within the tremendous tiebreaker and couldn’t fairly shut the hole.
“It’s unimaginable and like Raj mentioned this one hurts quite a bit: there are not any phrases to explain it,” Krajicek informed Britney Eurtock. “We left all of it on the market. We gave ourselves an opportunity on the finish, however that’s tennis.
“It is a depraved sport and hard method to make a dwelling, nevertheless it’s nonetheless an honor to be on the market and win the silver.”
Good for Ram and Krajicek and Fritz and Paul, silver and bronze medalists within the males’s doubles at #Paris2024
However nonetheless a disappointing #Olympics in #tennis for Group USA general with no girls’s medals and no singles medals. I’m stunned#getty pic.twitter.com/ZKhJ7MQ3CS
— Christopher Clarey
(@christophclarey) August 3, 2024
The fourth-seeded Individuals drew first-break blood for 4-2, however Aussies Ebden and Friends broke proper again within the seventh recreation and leveled after eight video games.
Within the first-set tiebreaker, Group USA earned a pair of set factors at 6-4. The Australian aspect saved each. On their third set level, Krajicek and Ram closed a one-set lead.
Serving up a set and a break at 4-3, the US was two holds from gold. Ram was lacking his first serve—he missed 5 first serves—and Ebden made him pay. The Aussies attacked down the center breaking Ram to stage 4-all.
In among the finest web exchanges of the match, the green-and-gold pushed a volley previous Krajicek to carry for 5-4.
Ebden got here by means of a tense deuce maintain, punching a volley down the center to place Australia forward 6-5. Ram stamped a love maintain to drive the second-set tiebreaker.
A targeted Ebden spiked two smashes within the first 4 factors staking Australia to a 4-0 tiebreaker lead. Ebden slid a return down the road off the Ram second function the Aussies prolonged to 5-1.
Friends served out the second-set tiebreaker to drive the 10-point match tiebreaker to resolve the gold-medal champion.
Carrying his sungless beneath his baseball cap, Friends noticed the sunshine and got here alive within the 10-point match tiebreaker. Friends hit a volley winner to place Australia up 5-2, then pulled off one of the vital sensational photographs of the day.
Operating to date large off the courtroom he almost crashed into the linesman, Friends made an amazing dig to lengthen the purpose and Krajicek’s smash strayed large as Australia was pumped up going up 7-2.
Ebden gained a forehand duel vs. Ram to provide the inexperienced and gold 4 gold-medal factors at 9-5 earlier than Friends lastly closed a stirring present.
Gold for the Aussies!
Matthew Ebden & John Friends take the boys’s doubles gold medal. Profitable Australia’s first gold within the Olympic Tennis Occasion since Atlanta 1996#Paris2024 | #Olympics | #tennis pic.twitter.com/pyffvwrTY8
— ITF (@ITFTennis) August 3, 2024
What a distinction per week makes
@mattebden #Paris2024 #Olympics #Tennis pic.twitter.com/TMHM8xVlCi
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 3, 2024
In the long run, Perth neighbors stood side-by-side beaming at this golden second.
“We dwell about 2 kilometers from one another again house in Perth Australia,” Ebden mentioned. “We’ll be speaking about this till we’re 100 years outdated.”
