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John Peers' daughter steals the show as Aussies survive scare to win doubles gold at Olympics

Peers and Matt Ebden won Australia's first Olympics doubles title in 28 years.

andrew reid
·4-min read

Veteran tennis stars Matt Ebden and John Peers snapped a 28-year drought by combining for Australia's 12th gold medal of the Olympic Games after a dramatic men's doubles final against Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram. And no one was riding the victory quite as nervously or as adorably as Peers' daughter Ellie, who was captured on TV willing her dad to victory.

Peers and Ebden fought back brilliantly from a set down to beat Krajicek and Ram 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-1) [10-8] in a nail-biting gold medal match at Roland Garros. In doing so, the 36-year-old veterans from Perth became the only Australian gold medallists in Olympic tennis after Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde - affectionately nicknamed 'The Woodies' - took the doubles title at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

John Peers' daughter Ellie captured the hearts of viewers after willing her dad home in the men's doubles final at the Olympics. Pic: Getty/Eurosport
John Peers' daughter Ellie captured the hearts of viewers after willing her dad home in the men's doubles final at the Olympics. Pic: Getty/Eurosport

It was far from straightforward though for the Aussie pair, who did so well to fight back from a set and a break down to take the second set and send the gold medal match into a deciding super tiebreak. The Aussies looked to be cruising to victory after racing out to an 8-3 lead and needing just two more points to clinch gold but there were several more twists before they finally got home.

Both Aussies had their families watching on from the stands but it was Peers' daughter Ellie that captured the hearts of TV viewers as images of her repeatedly flashed up in the latter stages of the match. Little Ellie, 7, was seen furiously crossing her fingers in the hopes that it would help her dad and Ebden get across the finish line. And viewers couldn't get enough of the Aussie duo's No.1 fan.

Things got very nervy for the Aussies in the super tiebreak as the duo saw their 8-3 lead pulled back to 9-7 by the resurgent Americans. And Ellie, like Aussie fans tuning in around the world, had her heart on her sleeve when Ebden missed a simple volley that would have won them the gold. It allowed the American pair to pull within one point, however, the Aussies survived the super tiebreak scare when Peers dug his mate out of a potential hole by putting away the winning smash at 9-8, sparking jubilant scenes for the Aussies and their families.

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Peers and Ebden have won a hatful of titles between them, including doubles grand slams, but they'd never had a moment quite like this. Asked if it was his best tennis moment, Ebden smiled: "It probably is. Winning slams, winning Wimbledon, we've been into the Davis Cup finals the last couple of years .... but I mean, the Olympics? Gold? Really? "It only comes around once every four years and even just to play it is ridiculous. To win a gold medal, I think it's like folklore. It's beyond me."

Peers said it was an absolute "honour" to be mentioned in the same breath as Australia's only other Olympic doubles champions, 'The Woodies'. And it was even more special for the pair to achieve their momentous feat in front of their adoring families, with the players' wives and kids coming on to the court to embrace the gold medallists in beautiful scenes.

Aussie doubles gold medallists John Peers and Matt Ebden are greeted by their families after their epic win at the Olympics. Pic: Getty
Aussie doubles gold medallists John Peers and Matt Ebden are greeted by their families after their epic win at the Olympics. Pic: Getty

Ebden and Peers are friends from Melbourne who are now neighbours in Perth and they were both so proud to be able their Olympic dream together in Paris. "Some miracle work has happened and somehow we've now got a gold medal for our streets," Ebden beamed afterwards.

The huge sign at the Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros says "Victory belongs to the most tenacious" and it was incredibly apt for the Aussie pair in the final. Ebden and Peers clawed their way back from the brink after going a set and 4-2 down, and willed themselves to victory in one of the most thrilling Olympic tennis finals in recent memory.

Peers wanted the moment to inspire his biggest fans. "I hope it can make them dream big and know the sky's the limit, that they can do anything they want to put their minds to," the proud dad. At least one young fan has surely been inspired by the Aussie champions after a gold medal-winning performance that will live long in the memory.

with AAP