With 'last-minute' pairing, Australian Rinky Hijikata advances to Wimbledon doubles final
Updated . First published at
Australian Rinky Hijikata will contest the men's doubles final at Wimbledon for the first time alongside Dutch partner David Pel after the pair took down the No.1 in a thrilling three-set battle 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 7-6(9).
Remarkably, Hijikata and Pel were not even supposed to feature in the main draw.
Essentially strangers who had barely spoken before the tournament, the duo are now one win away from the major title.
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Rinky Hijikata of Australia celebrates with David Pel of Netherlands celebrate their semi-final win at Wimbledon. Hannah Peters via Getty Images
Entering the event as alternates, on standby to replace a team that withdrew ahead of the tournament, Hijikata and Pel survived match points in their opening two matches at SW19.
"Hell of a story, I guess," Hijikata told Stan Sport after the match.
"We were a last-minute pairing. I was scrambling to find a partner and reached out to David, and gee, it's worked out pretty well so far."
Having taken down the No.3 seeds in the round of 16, the pair again triumphed against adversity in their semi final to dispatch top seeds Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić.
The teams struggled to be separated, with neither able to break serve across the three sets.
The duel ultimately ended in a decisive tiebreak in which Hijikata and Pel withstood two match points when down 9-7 in the final stanza.
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With victory within their grasp, Hijikata hammered a cross-court forehand winner to seal their place in the final.
Epitomising the pair's steeliness, he then celebrated with an "ice in my veins" gesture — made famous by NBA star D'Angelo Russell.
Rinky Hijikata plays a forehand. Shi Tang via Getty Images
"I hit the forehand and couldn't even hear if it was in or out with the crowd going nuts," Hijikata said.
"It was pandemonium out there. Just so much fun to be a part of."
Hijikata and Pel will face the All-British team of Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash for the trophy.
The final is scheduled for Saturday night (AEST) on Centre Court. The official start time is yet to be determined.
The decider marks Hijikata's second grand slam doubles final, having won the Australian Open title in 2023 alongside fellow Aussie Jason Kubler.
"There're some parallels with the AO and Kubes," he said.
"A similar story, (we) weren't in the tournament to begin with."
"These moments are kind of the ones you play for, and (the ones) you work so hard for."
