Alexei Popyrin, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Adam Walton are among 11 Australians scheduled to compete on day four at Wimbledon 2024.
London, Great Britain, 4 July 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Alexei Popyrin, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Adam Walton are all aiming to extend career-best runs on day four at Wimbledon 2024.
Popyrin has progressed to the second round at the All England Club for the second time in his career, matching his effort on debut in 2019.
World No.31 Tomas Martin Etcheverry now stands in the 24-year-old’s way of a maiden third-round appearance at the prestigious grass-court Grand Slam.
“It’s not going to be an easy match,” world No.47 Popyrin said of his match-up with the 24-year-old Argentine. “I’ve known him since I was 13 or 14 years old. We played juniors together and he’s a really good player. I think he’s more of a clay-courter, but he got through his first round quite easily against a solid grass-court player.
“I’m going to have to bring a really good level to beat him.”
After completing a heroic comeback to score his first top-20 win at a Grand Slam in nine years, Kokkinakis can advance to Wimbledon’s third round for the first time if he beats French qualifier Lucas Pouille.
Although Pouille is currently ranked world No.212, he is a former top-10 player.
“I haven’t seen him playing in a while, but I know lately he’s been finding his form again,” Kokkinakis noted of the Wimbledon 2016 quarterfinalist. “We are good mates off the court, so it’s good to see him coming back.
“It’s going to be tough, I’m expecting to play a tough match and for him to bring his best level.”
The 25-year-old Walton scored his own milestone Grand Slam win earlier this week and is determined to continue his breakout run against another Argentine, Francisco Comesana.
The unheralded Comesana scored a major upset in the opening round, eliminating world No.6 Andrey Rublev in four sets. It was the world No.122’s first tour-level win and only his second professional grass-court match.
“I don’t really know much about him, but obviously it’s not Rublev,” world No.101 Walton said. “I’d rather play this guy rather than Rublev for sure.”
Ninth seed Alex de Minaur is back in action on day four as well, facing Spaniard Jaume Munar in the second round for the second consecutive Grand Slam. They also met at this stage at Roland Garros, where De Minaur scored a straight-sets win.
“I’m very intrigued for this match-up,” De Minaur said. “Obviously I played him on clay, but I think I can’t take anything out of that match, if I’m completely honest, going into playing him on grass. It’s completely polar opposite surfaces. I think it’s going to be a lot more on my racquet.
“Maybe I’ve got a little bit more experience than he does on the grass, but he’s played some good matches. I remember him playing against (Cameron) Norrie and having an absolute battle one year here (Wimbledon 2022), so I’m definitely not taking it lightly. I’m looking to try and play my tennis, play some positive tennis and hopefully that will give me a good chance.”
The 25-year-old De Minaur is aiming to progress to Wimbledon’s third round for a third time in his career and for the first time since 2022.
Daria Saville headlines the action on Court 14, taking on world No.19 Marta Kostyuk in a second-round women’s singles match. The match was postponed yesterday, after inclement weather impacted play at the All England Club.
A further six Australians feature in doubles action on day four, including the first-time pairing of Rinky Hijikata and John Peers. The Aussie pair take on the Murray brothers, Andy and Jamie, at Centre Court.
It is the first opening-round doubles match scheduled on Wimbledon’s famed Centre Court since 1995.
> READ: Peers and Hijikata excited to challenge Murray brothers at Wimbledon
Wimbledon is broadcast live in Australia on the Nine Network and Stan Sport, with coverage beginning from 7.30pm AEST.
Aussies in action on day four:
Men’s singles, second round
[9] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v Jaume Munar (ESP), No.3 Court, first match (from 8pm AEST)
Adam Walton (AUS) v Francisco Comesana (ARG), Court 16, first match (from 8pm AEST)
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v [30] Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG), Court 11, second match
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) v [Q] Lucas Pouille (FRA), Court 8, third match
Women’s singles, second round
Daria Saville (AUS) v [18] Marta Kostyuk (UKR), Court 14, first match (from 8pm AEST)
Men’s doubles, first round
John-Patrick Smith (AUS)/Andreas Mies (GER) v Victor Cornea (ROU)/Fabian Marozsan (HUN), Court 6, first match (from 8pm AEST)
[15] Max Purcell (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS) v [WC] Jay Clarke (GBR)/Marcus Willis (GBR), Court 10, second match
Rinky Hijikata (AUS)/John Peers (AUS) v [WC] Andy Murray (GBR)/Jamie Murray (GBR), Centre Court, third match
Women’s doubles, first round
[3] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v [WC] Sarah Beth Grey (GBR)/Tara Moore (GBR), Court 9, first match (from 8pm AEST)
Daria Saville (AUS)/Yuan Yue (CHN) v [9] Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR)/Jelena Ostapenko (LAT), Court 16, fourth match
> VIEW: Full Wimbledon 2024 day four schedule
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