Doubles pair Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell are among six Australian players scheduled to compete on day eight at Roland Garros 2024.

Paris, France, 2 June 2024 | Leigh Rogers

Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell are on the verge of causing a major upset in the Roland Garros men’s doubles competition.

World No.36 Thompson and world No.33 Purcell have established themselves as one of the world’s best teams so far in 2024, winning 17 of their 20 matches together and scooping three ATP titles. Yet despite their red-hot form, they are unseeded in Paris.

The Australian combination are in a promising position against one of the other top-performing teams this season, world No.9 Wesley Koolhof and world No.22 Nikola Mektic. Their second-round encounter was postponed yesterday due to inclement weather, with the score tied at one-set apiece,

Resuming the match at one-all in the deciding set, Thompson and Purcell have a chance to eliminate the seventh seeds, who are the only other team to win three ATP doubles titles so far in 2024.

Meanwhile, world No.3 Matt Ebden and world No.62 John-Patrick Smith are hoping to finally begin their respective campaigns in the men’s doubles competition. Their first-round matches have been rescheduled multiple times over recent days, as rain continues to cause havoc to the schedule on outside courts.

John Peers has a big day ahead too, with the enduring 35-year-old scheduled to play two matches.

The former world No.2 has advanced to the second round in the men’s doubles competition alongside Roman Safiullin, where they face co-ranked world No.18s Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen. The 10th-seeded Belgians were finalists in Paris last year.

Peers will then contest a first-round mixed doubles match, with his American partner Nicole Melichar-Martinez, against Gille and world No.9 Vera Zvonareva.

The Roland Garros Junior Championships also get underway on day eight, with 17-year-old Gold Coast talent Hayden Jones featuring in first-round singles action.

Jones is the No.6 seed, making him the highest-seeded Australian in a boys’ singles draw at the tournament since Alexei Popyrin seven years ago.

> READ MORE: Jones siblings lead Australian charge in Roland Garros juniors

Roland Garros is broadcast live in Australia on the Nine Network and Stan Sport, with coverage beginning at 6.30pm AEST.

Aussies in action on day eight:

Men’s doubles, first round
[2] Matt Ebden (AUS)/Rohan Bopanna (IND) v [Alt] Orlando Luz (BRA)/Marcelo Zormann (BRA), Court 5, second match
John-Patrick Smith (AUS)/Denys Molchanov (UKR) v Petros Tsitsipas (GRE)/Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE), Court 7, fifth match

Men’s doubles, second round
Max Purcell (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS) v [7] Wesley Koolhof (NED)/Nikola Mektic (CRO), Court 2, first match (from 7pm AEST), 4-6 6-4 1-1 to finish
John Peers (AUS)/Roman Safiullin v [10] Sander Gille (BEL)/Joran Vliegen (BEL), Court 4, first match (from 7pm AEST)

Mixed doubles, first round
Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA)/John Peers (AUS) v [5] Vera Zvonareva/Sander Gille (BEL), Court 4, fourth match

Boys’ singles, first round
[6] Hayden Jones (AUS) v [Q] Jan Klimas (CZE), Court 13, second match

> VIEW: Full Roland Garros day eight schedule

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