Rome, Italy, 16 May 2025 | Jackson Mansell

Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez are within reach of a maiden WTA 1000 final appearance as a duo after progressing to the Rome semifinals on Thursday.

The Aussie duo defeated Norwegian Ulrikke Eikeri and Japan’s Eri Hozumi 4-6 6-2 [10-5], edging closer to a 36-year first.

With their triumph, they are two steps away from becoming the first all-Australian women’s pairing since Elizabeth Smylie and Janine Thompson in 1989 to win the Rome crown.

Hunter and Perez arrived at Thursday’s encounter with relative ease. They opened their account with a convincing 6-1 6-2 victory over Magda Linette and Rebecca Sramkova, before ousting Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Liudmila Samsonova.

Hunter and Perez have the necessary experience required to end the wait for an all-Aussie champion team; Hunter was the last Australian to win the silverware when she paired with Elise Mertens in 2023.

MORE: Hunter & Mertens crowned 2023 Italian Open champions

She and Mertens most notably recorded a straight-sets victory over the top-seeded pairing Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the final.

Should she win in 2025, it would be the first trophy Hunter has collected since returning from a 10-month-long Achilles injury in February.

The 30-year-old surpassed her seasonal-best result with victory on Thursday, which was previously her Miami Masters quarterfinals appearance alongside American Caroline Dolehide.

A potential top-70 return awaits the former world No.1 if she can hoist the Italian Open trophy. Hunter is currently 104th in the live WTA rankings, improving 129 places.

For Perez, another top-10 berth could be on the horizon if she emerges victorious in the Italian capital. She hopes to add to her Abu Dhabi 500 triumph in February.

Interestingly, Mertens will stand on the other side of the net when Hunter and Perez play their semifinal match on Saturday morning.

Mertens partners with Veronika Kudermetova as they aim to go one better than their recent heartbreaking loss in the Madrid final.

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