Dabrowski/Pavic Capture Australian Open Mixed Doubles Crown

Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Croatia’s Mate Pavic saved one championship point in the Match tie-break to capture the Australian Open mixed doubles title on Sunday.

Fifth seeds Pavic and Dabrowski scraped past India’s Rohan Bopanna and Timea Babos of Hungary, the eighth seeds, 2-6, 6-4, 11-9 in 68 minutes under a closed roof on Rod Laver Arena. The tournament’s organisers had enforced the extreme heat policy as the temperature neared 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

The victory comes less than 24 hours after Pavic partnered Oliver Marach to the men’s doubles title, with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.

“It feels pretty good, I have to say,” Pavic said of his two titles this fortnight. “I did not imagine that I’m able to do that. If somebody would have told me, I wouldn’t believe him.”

Pavic and Dabrowski won the first three points of the Match tie-break and failed to convert championship points at 6/4 and 8/7. At 6/6, Bopanna struck a forehand past Debrowski for a first championship point, but Pavic coolly hit two consecutive aces. Debrowski hit the winning stroke with a forehand return winner.

Pavic also won the 2016 US Open mixed doubles title with Laura Siegemund, while Dabrowski partnered Bopanna to the 2017 Roland Garros crown.