JOHN Peers might be the only popular Australian in England right now.
The Ashes has started but the success of Jamie Murray and Peers in the men's doubles at Wimbledon is an antidote to all the sledging and Pom bashing. The pairing face Philipp Petzschner and Jonathan Erlich in a men's doubles semi-final today and Peers said that having Jamie Murray in his corner was a bit like having two home majors.
"Every time we walk out with Jamie there are always a few Brits or a few Scottish fans out there," said Peers. "It feels good. For me, it is like having two home Grand Slams. We both bring different things to the table and it ends up being a good team."
Murray and Peers are the No 13 seeds in this year's competition and while today will be the Scot's first Wimbledon semi final in his preferred discipline, the elder Murray sibling isn't surprised by their progress. "It is not a shock to me, I know we are good," said Jamie, a winner in the mixed doubles here with Jelena Jankovic back in 2007. "We have beaten a lot of the top teams over the last couple of years, we have been going in the right direction over the last 18 months and I think we deserve to be where we are. Hopefully it is the springboard to get to this level on a more regular basis in the Grand Slams."
So seriously did the Scot take this year's event that he declined to enter the mixed. Next up for them is Petzschner and Erlich, a pair who are unseeded but have plenty of pedigree. "That is our job, to win matches, particularly in Grand Slams, the biggest tournament there is," said Jamie. "We will be giving it our all, to try to get to the final. Petzschner has won Wimbledon before and the US Open, while Erlich has won the Australian Open, so it will be a tough match. But we are feeling good about the way we are playing and it will be a tough match for them as well."
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