MELBOURNE – In a thrilling semifinal showdown at the Australian Open, local wildcards Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans have scripted history by advancing to the men’s doubles final. The Australian duo overcame Great Britain’s Luke Johnson and Poland’s Jan Zielinski with a hard-fought 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory on Thursday, electrifying the home crowd at Melbourne Park.
Kubler, nursing a bandaged left knee that has undergone multiple surgeries, showed no signs of discomfort. He leaped into the air for a thunderous smash to secure the first break, then fired consecutive return winners from the ad side to race to a 5-1 lead in the opening set. Polmans sealed it effortlessly, holding serve without dropping a point.
The second set saw the Aussies struggle with their first serves, landing just 9 out of 23. This allowed their opponents to level the match. But in the decider, Polmans dug deep to save his serve in a tense seventh game. The very next game, they broke Johnson to take control.
Zielinski’s long return on Kubler’s serve handed the Aussies the match point, clinching their spot in the final. There, they’ll face a formidable challenge from Great Britain’s former world No. 1 Neal Skupski and American Christian Harrison, who dismantled third seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in straight sets in the other semifinal.
For Kubler, this marks a chance to win a second Australian Open doubles title as a wildcard, having triumphed with Rinky Hijikata in 2023. Polmans, who reached the semifinals here in 2017 with Andrew Whittington, will contest his first Grand Slam final. The stage is set for a blockbuster showdown Down Under.