Australian Open Mixed Doubles Champions: Gadecki-Peers
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Synopsis
In a thrilling encounter, Olivia Gadecki and John Peers emerged victorious in the Australian Open mixed doubles, overcoming Kimberly Birrell and John-Patrick Smith. This historic win marks the first all-Australian champions since 2013 and adds another title to Peers' impressive collection.
Key Takeaways
- Olivia Gadecki and John Peers won the mixed doubles title.
- They defeated Kimberly Birrell and John-Patrick Smith in the final.
- This victory marks Peers' second Australian title.
- Gadecki's first major title comes from this championship.
- The duo achieved a historic win for Australia in the Open Era.
Melbourne, Jan 24 (NationPress) The wild card team of Olivia Gadecki and John Peers clinched the Australian Open mixed doubles championship by defeating fellow Australians Kimberly Birrell and John-Patrick Smith in a thrilling match on Friday.
This remarkable pair accomplished a comeback win with scores of 3-6, 6-4 (10-6) over their compatriots after a competitive showdown lasting one hour and 24 minutes at the iconic Rod Laver Arena.
Presenting the winners with their trophy were Grand Slam champions Lesley Bowrey and Bill Bowrey. This victory signifies a second Australian title for Peers, who had previously secured the men’s doubles title alongside Henri Kontinen in 2017.
At 36 years old, Peers, who earned Olympic gold in doubles at Paris with Matthew Ebden, also won the 2022 US Open mixed doubles with Storm Sanders and the 2017 Australian Open men’s doubles. For the 22-year-old Gadecki, this trophy marks her first major title.
The duo of Gadecki and Peers produced 25 winners, making history as the first all-Australian mixed doubles champions since 2013, when Matt Ebden and Jarmila Gajdosova took the title.
They are just the fourth all-Aussie pairing to achieve this milestone during the Open era, following Ebden and Gajdosova, Scott Draper and Samantha Stosur in 2005, and Mark Woodforde and Nicole Provis in 1992, as per tournament statistics.
With their victory in the first all-Australian final in the Open Era of this event, and the first since the 1967 Australian Open, it ensures that, for the 14th consecutive edition, a local name is etched on at least one AO trophy.
The duo also staged a remarkable comeback to win a match tiebreak in the quarter-finals against Indian star Rohan Bopanna and her Chinese partner Zhang Shuai.
