Doubles is Australia’s last Wimbledon hope

Trusty women’s doubles pairing Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua, along with men’s doubles top seed John Peers, will carry Australia’s title hope into the second week at Wimbledon.

With the one-time tennis super power enduring their worst singles campaign since before World World II, only some doubles success can save Australia from further embarrassment at The All England Club.

Bernard Tomic’s lame first-round loss and subsequent self-destruction and Nick Kyrgios’s injury-enforced retirement were the lowlights of a forgettable opening week.

But there is still hope.

Finalists at all four grand slams, Barty and Dellacqua have another opportunity to crack it for an elusive first major after setting up a third-round meeting on Monday against Belgian Elise Mertens and Dutchwoman Demi Schuurs.

Seeded eighth, Barty’s and Dellacqua’s prospects have improved significantly after the unfortunate withdrawal of the world’s top duo, Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

The Czech-American team outclassed Barty and Dellacqua in last month’s French Open final and were big favourites to complete a non-calendar-year grand slam sweep at Wimbledon until Mattek-Sands dislocated her kneecap in one of the most sickening accidents seen at the All England Club.

Peers remains alive in both the men’s and mixed doubles.

He and Finnish partner Henri Kontinen play Frenchman Hugo Nys and Croatian Antonio Sancic on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.

Sam Groth, with Swede Robert Lindstedt, is also in third-round action on Monday against Croatian pair Nikola Metkic and Franko Skugor.

Peers and Germany’s former singles finalist Sabine Lisicki take on third seeds Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Taiwan’s Yung-Jan Chan in the second round of the mixed event.

Anastasia Rodionova, with former Russian compatriot Mikhail Elgin, has a second-round mixed match against the 15th-seeded team of New Zealander Michael Venus and Czech Barbora Krejcikova.

Australian juniors Blake Ellis and Thomas Bosancic will open their boys’ singles campaigns after the traditional middle Sunday off.

AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION WHEN WIMBLEDON RESUMES ON MONDAY:

Women’s doubles, third round

8-Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua v Elise Mertens (BEL) and Demi Schuurs (NED)

Men’s doubles, third round

1-John Peers and Henri Kontinen (FIN) v Hugo Nys (FRA) and Antonio Sancic (CRO)

Sam Groth and Robert Lindstedt (SWE) v Nikola Metkic (CRO) and Franko Skugor (CRO)

Mixed doubles, second round

John Peers and Sabine Lisicki (GER) v 3-Lukasz Kubot (POL) and Yung-Jan Chan (TPE)

Anastasia Rodionova and Mikhail Elgin (RUS) v 15-Michael Venus (NZL) and Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)

Boys’ singles, first round

Blake Ellis v 7-Trent Bryde (USA)

Thomas Bosancic v Barnaby Smith (GBR)

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