Australian combination Storm Sanders and Marc Polmans are through to the mixed doubles quarterfinals at Australian Open 2021.
It matches a career-best result for the wildcard team, who also reached this stage at Australian Open 2018.
The 26-year-old Sanders and 23-year-old Polmans won a tight second-round battle against fellow Aussie wildcards Ellen Perez and Andrew Harris at Melbourne Park today, prevailing 6-4 6-7(4) [10-8].
After a slow start, Polmans and Sanders won the final four games of the opening set to clinch it in 34 minutes.
The 26-year-old Harris and 25-year-old Perez fought back in the second set to level the match - but they couldn't stop their more experienced opponents in a deciding match tiebreak.
Polmans and Sanders, who also eliminated the fifth seeds in a match tiebreak in their first-round match this week, sealed victory after one hour and 35 minutes on court.
The Melbourne-based duo will play another Aussie combination in the quarterfinals, with Max Purcell and Arina Rodionova advancing via walkover.
It is a first Grand Slam mixed doubles quarterfinal appearance for both 22-year-old Purcell and 31-year-old Rodionova.
> VIEW: Australian Open 2021 mixed doubles draw
In men's doubles action, defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury defeated Australia's John Peers and New Zealand's Michael Venus 7-6(4) 7-6(4) in the third round.
Little separated the two teams, both hitting 24 winners apiece. But the American-British combination produced their best under pressure to win both tiebreaks and keep their title defence alive.
It leaves Matthew Ebden and John-Patrick Smith as the last Aussie hopes in the draw.
The 33-year-old Ebden and 32-year-old Smith advanced to the first Australian Open men's doubles quarterfinals of their careers today, defeating fourth seeds Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Poland's Lukasz Kubot in straight sets.
> VIEW: Australian Open 2021 men's doubles draw
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2021
Aussies in action - day eight results
Men's doubles, third round
[WC] Matthew Ebden (AUS)/John-Patrick Smith (AUS) d [4] Wesley Koolhof (NED)/Lukasz Kubot (POL) 7-6(2) 6-4
[5] Rajeev Ram (USA)/Joe Salisbury (GBR) d [10] John Peers (AUS)/Michael Venus (NZL) 7-6(4) 7-6(4)
Mixed doubles, second round
[WC] Marc Polmans (AUS)/Storm Sanders (AUS) d [WC] Andrew Harris (AUS)/Ellen Perez (AUS) 6-4 6-7(4) [10-8]
[WC] Max Purcell (AUS)/Arina Rodionova (AUS) d [2] Robert Farah (COL)/Nicole Melichar (USA) walkover