Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram put Israel on the map when they won the men’s doubles title at the Australian Open in Melbourne, one of the four most important tennis tournaments of the tour. The Australian Open, together with the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and the French Open, make up the grand slam tournaments.
Their victory was the first time an Israeli pair has won a grand slam tournament, and in a country starved for success in sports, the news made the headline in all the major newspapers, allowing much embattled Prime Minster Ehud Olmert time off from his busy schedule to call and congratulate them.
The victory come just a day after star of Israeli women’s tennis, Shahar Peer, and her Belarusian partner Victoria Azarenka, reached the women’s doubles final of the same tournament.
The victory by Erlich and Ram will certainly boost the morale and expectations of the Israeli Davis Cup team ahead of the games against former powerhouse Sweden mid-February.