Former world No.1 doubles player and Davis Cup legend John Fitzgerald hails Max Purcell, Jordan Thompson, Matt Ebden and John Peers for their doubles heroics in 2024.
Melbourne, 10 September 2024 | Dan Imhoff
Australia’s doubles renaissance on the biggest stages in 2024 is music to nine-time Grand Slam champion John Fitzgerald’s ears and presents a handy predicament for the nation’s Davis Cup campaign, according to the former world No.1.
Fitzgerald, who completed the doubles career Grand Slam and picked up two mixed doubles crowns between 1982 and 1991, hailed the state of the nation’s doubles stocks following Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson’s first major title together at the US Open.
The two-time Davis Cup winner and 2003 winning captain hailed Australia’s recent form, which included Matt Ebden and John Peers’ Olympic doubles gold medal in Paris and Ebden’s Australian Open triumph in January with Indian partner Rohan Bopanna.
> READ: Australia opens Davis Cup campaign against France
With Australia due to face France, Czech Republic and Spain in the Davis Cup group stage in Valencia this week, it meant Australia was blessed with three top 10 doubles players in the team.
“I think Max Purcell is arguably the best first-courter in the world, if he puts his mind to it on that first court,” Fitzgerald said in an interview with The Sit-Down. “Part of what made that gold medal win of Ebden and Peers so great in the end, one of them had to move to the first court.
“So, John Peers showed a lot of versatility to be able to move across from that side he played on, under pressure on a clay court and playing in that first court. He deserves a lot of credit for that… It was great to see the Aussies doing well. Traditionally we have in this country.”
> LISTEN: The Sit-Down with John Fitzgerald
Having let championship points slip in the Wimbledon final, Purcell and Thompson atoned for the disappointment at Flushing Meadows where they denied German pair Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz for Thompson’s first major doubles trophy and Purcell’s second, having claimed Wimbledon with Ebden two years ago.
It marked Purcel and Thompson’s fifth title together this season following Dallas, Los Cabos, Houston and the Madrid Masters.
“I feel like Australian doubles has always had good players,” Purcell said. “We had Peersy before us kind of going deep in Slams, and Ebby last year had a really good run and then into the start of this year, myself and Ebby a couple years before that.
“I just think we’re such well-rounded players that when we need to play doubles and figure out how to win doubles matches, we’ve got more than enough court craft to do that.
The rest is history 💚💛
Epic #DavisCup story told by John Fitzgerald feat. @lleytonhewitt 🎧 https://t.co/Q6r3CarVU1 pic.twitter.com/YosssZVsfy
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) September 9, 2024
“I guess the camaraderie of Australian players, we all kind of stick together, Thommo and I especially. That’s a huge factor in why we win.”
Fitzgerald, who also rose to a career-high No.25 in singles, relished the same bond between his countrymen and praised the platform for team success that Davis Cup provided.
“I think to play on a Davis Cup team and win a couple of times and then be captain was, that for me is the most memorable thing in my career,” he said. “The nerves that you experience playing for your country is unparalleled for me. The pressure that you learned to deal with and sometimes not deal so well with is the best learning curve that a young tennis player can have.”
The Davis Cup Finals will be broadcast live in Australia on the Nine Network. Coverage of the first tie against France begins at 12am AEST on Wednesday 11 September.