Australia’s 28-year wait for a gold medal in Olympic tennis came to an end on Saturday after Matthew Ebden and John Peers staged a big fight back to win the men’s doubles title.
The veteran pairing was a set and a break down before battling back to prevail 6-7(6), 7-6(1), 10-8, over Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram at Roland Garros. It is the first time Peers and Ebden have won a title of any sort together since turning pro. The duo, who are both 36 years of age, are the first players from their country to win an Olympic tennis event since Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
“It’s amazing to have the family and friends in the crowd. Matt’s son is here as well,” Peers told NBC afterward. “We got to share it with our families. Matt and I were just saying: We can’t believe it. It’s what we hoped for a few months ago, but now it’s a reality. We’re actually gold medalists.”
Peers’ latest triumph is the second time he has won a medal at the Olympics after winning a bronze medal in the mixed doubles with Ash Barty at the Tokyo Games. He is only the third tennis player from his country to have won multiple medals. Meanwhile, it is the first time Ebden has won a medal of any sort.
“We’re just in disbelief,” Ebden told Channel 9 Australia.
“Todd and Mark (Woodbridge) have both been coaches and mentors for both of us, but for me personally to win gold for us and the country is amazing.
“I moved to Australia when I was younger and Australia has adopted me.
“I think it’s the greatest country on earth and I’m so happy to be called an Australian.”
“We’d better go wild.”
As for Krajicek and Ram, the American duo have been left to rue their missed opportunities. At one stage they were just two games away from victory.
“You play your heart out for your country in these moments,” Ram said. “We were so close but we couldn’t quite get it. It’s wonderful to win the silver because I feel we genuinely won the silver, but it’s tough.”
Paris was just the fifth tournament Peers and Ebden have played together as a team. They were unseeded in the draw but only dropped one set in five matches played which was in the final. In the previous round, they knocked out third seeds Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.
“We live about 2 kilometers from each other back home in Perth Australia,” Ebden said. “We’ll be talking about this until we’re 100 years old.”
Fritz and Paul will play Adam Pavlasek and Tomas Machac in the bonze medal play-off.
