Wimbledon: Anisimova-Swiatek in women's final as Rinky Hijikata eyes doubles title
The son of Japanese immigrants who started playing tennis as a three-year-old, Hinjikata is on the cusp of his biggest achievement on the court to date.
While he has an Australian Open doubles title triumph on his CV already, a Wimbledon win would be another brilliant string on the bow for the 24-year-old Sydneysider.
But he and Dutchman Pel will be huge underdogs, as they face a pairing who have twice won the Wimbledon title (2022-23).
Rinky Hijikata will play the men's doubles final. Picture: Getty Images
The doubles decider is the entree to the women's singles final, where a new champion is guaranteed for the eighth conscutive year.
Five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek had previously never gone beyond the quarter-finals at the All England Club while US 13th seed Amanda Anisimova is preparing for her first major final.
No player has retained the crown since the now-retired Serena Williams won her seventh and final Wimbledon title in 2016.
Aryna Sabalenka started as the hot favourite after reaching the past three Grand Slam finals but faltered in a gripping semi-final against Anisimova.
Poland's Swiatek is seeded eighth at Wimbledon following a disappointing first half of the season, though she is back up to fourth in the rankings after reaching the final of the grass-court Bad Homburg tournament.
That run, together with her surge through the draw at All England Club, suggests the 24-year-old is cured of her grass-court allergy.
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