Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic entered the 2018 Australian Open on fire, becoming just the fifth team to win two ATP World Tour events leading up to the year’s first Grand Slam, capturing trophies at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open and the ASB Classic.

But while none of those first four teams advanced past the semi-finals at Melbourne Park, the Austrian-Croatian team surged all the way to its maiden Grand Slam title, defeating 11th seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-4, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.

“I don’t know what to say,” Pavic said in disbelief. “I’m really happy with everything, with these two weeks, with the beginning of the year. We still haven’t lost a match.”

Marach and Pavic began their partnership at the Miami Open presented by Itau last March. But after three months and a 7-7 start, the pair considered splitting in Stuttgart.

Ever since, they have been one of the best teams on the ATP World Tour, reaching the final that week (l. Murray/Soares) at the Mercedes Cup. They have not looked back, earning four tour-level titles as a team and advancing to three finals, including 2017 Wimbledon, falling in a heartbreaking fifth-set, 13-11, against Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo.

And while the team appeared at the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals as alternates, Marach and Pavic are well on their way to qualifying for the season finale in London this year.

“What can I say? I’m a little bit speechless,” Marach said. “Since last year we’ve grown together unbelievably. We’ve had really unbelievable runs and I hope we can continue this year. I enjoyed every minute being with you on the court and I hope we can continue like that.” 

In their second major final, Marach and Pavic did not let slip their opportunity. They broke at 4-4 in both sets, and Marach sealed the title with a big serve down the middle that elicited a return into the net by Farah.

“These guys are playing amazing this year,” Cabal said.

It is Marach’s 20th tour-level title and he wins the trophy at Melbourne Park on his 12th attempt, the second longest it took for an Australian Open champion (Leander Paes, 17 attempts). Pavic, who earns his 11th tour-level crown, is the second Croatian player to win a men’s doubles Grand Slam championship (Ivan Dodig, 2015 Roland Garros). He is also the youngest (24 years, 207 days) to triumph at the Australian Open in men’s doubles since Michael Llodra (23 years, 259 days) in 2004.

“It was tough for us. It was not easy because we had a lot of matches from Doha on, a lot of traveling also. We went to Auckland, had a long flight and everything,” Pavic said. “We didn’t really had a lot of days off or nothing. We kept on playing and playing and playing. It was getting tougher. Quarters, semis, I think we didn’t play our best tennis. But just that confidence that we brought on from those tournaments and the wins and everything helped us a lot actually.”

Cabal and Farah, who did not lose a set prior to the final, were bidding to become the first Colombians to win a men’s doubles major title. Cabal is one of two Colombians to win any Grand Slam, triumphing at the Australian Open in mixed doubles last year with Abigail Spears.

Marach and Pavic earn 2,000 ATP Doubles Rankings points and claim their share of $700,000, while Cabal and Farah capture 1,200 points and split $350,000.

Pavic will be back in action Sunday as he partners Gabirela Dabrowski against Rohan Bopanna and Timea Babos for the mixed doubles title.

“I don’t let you sleep. I don’t care,” Marach joked.

“It’s going to be tough,” Pavic said. “[But] I have to celebrate enough.”

When a nine-year-old hockey player named Sebastian Korda traveled with his father Petr to the US Open in 2009, it was love at first sight. Until that point, Sebastian had played hockey five days a week, and would hit tennis balls possibly once on the weekend.

When the Kordas returned from that trip, Sebastian approached his father.

“He said he does not want to play hockey,” the former World No. 2 remembered. “He quit hockey overnight. He has not skated and he has not played hockey since. Not once.”

And now, more than seven years later, Sebastian is into the final of the Australian Open boys’ singles, 20 years after his father won his lone singles Grand Slam trophy on the same court inside Rod Laver Arena.

“It’s pretty awesome. It’s a great feeling,” Petr said from his home in Bradenton, Florida. “I’m very happy for him. He’s enjoying his experience in this special journey.”

Petr, who won 10 tour-level singles titles and 10 tour-level doubles titles, did not choose tennis for his kids. In fact, he has two daughters — Jessica, 24, and Nelly, 19, who play professional golf.

“I never wanted my kids to play tennis,” Korda said. “We’d love our kids to play other sports so they can set their own goals. If any one of our kids would follow our footsteps, the goals are already pre-set for them. It’s very difficult for the kids to get out of the shadow of that and obviously they’re trying to beat their parents.”

That is true especially for this tennis-rich family, as Petr’s wife, Regina, was also a professional tennis player, who ascended as high as World No. 26. But while Petr did not want his son, 17, pushed into a life of his father’s choosing, Sebastian made the choice for himself.

“We gave him one month to think about it and during the period he came up to me. I believe Jim Courier was on TV commentating and he came and asked me, ‘Dad, do you know who won the first US Open’?” recalled Korda, who was unsure. But Sebastian knew it was Arthur Ashe, and that proved plenty to Petr.

“That’s when he convinced me he really wanted to play, he was really interested about the history because I love the history of tennis, so he earned my vote to let him go on to be a tennis player.”

It wasn’t just that one nugget that Sebastian knew. Petr remembers Sebastian treating the annual ATP World Tour media guide like a textbook, reciting results whenever players he saw in the book played on television.

“That was like a bible to him,” Korda said. “He became very invested in tennis and that’s what I love and admire and it reminds me of when I was a kid. I could see the passion… That was his choice, his idea.”

From following his father to Flushing Meadows as he coached Czech veteran Radek Stepanek to meeting Roger Federer — who plays for a 20th Grand Slam title Sunday — on the same grounds at 14, Sebastian has lived a fan’s dream in the tennis world.

That passion has carried Sebastian to as high as No. 6 in the junior rankings. He arrived in Australia in December to play play two weeks of ATP Challenger Tour events (reaching the final round of qualifying at each) and an ITF Grade 1 Juniors event. In this week’s Australian Open junior semi-finals, the seventh seeded Korda defeated second seed Marko Miladinovic, whom he lost to less than two weeks ago despite holding two match points.

And now Korda has a chance against Taiwan’s Chun Hsin Tseng, the sixth seed, to become the third member of the family to win an Australian Open title — his oldest sister, Jessica, won golf’s version at age 18 in 2012. Petr coaches Sebastian, but he did not make the trip to Australia. The USTA’s Dean Goldfine and Korda’s former agent, Patricio Apey — who works with Alexander Zverev — are with Sebastian at Melbourne Park.

“I would love to be there, especially 20 years later, it’s very special for me,” Korda said. “But I decided to stay home to let him enjoy the Australian Open the way he needs to enjoy it. If I would be there, I believe I would be a distraction because that trip would not be about him, it would all be about dad’s 20th [anniversary].”

This is all about Sebastian, and Petr values his children’s success far more than his own.

“Lifting my trophy was a fantastic moment, it was a great feeling, but what my kids are doing is what makes me very proud,” Korda said. “Winning [the] Australian Open 1996 doubles and 1998 in singles is meaningless compared to what my kids are doing.

“I’m happy that he is doing his own footsteps, so hopefully he’s not going to be known as my son. Hopefully I’ll be known as only his dad. I think that’s something that I’m really looking forward to. That he’s not going to be reminded what his dad did, but I will be reminded what my son did. I’m really looking forward to that.”

Petr has spoken to Sebastian after each of his matches, but only texted him beforehand. His advice ahead of Saturday’s final will be simple.

“Just enjoy it. Just enjoy it. That’s a great experience. Whatever happens, happens, but enjoy the moment.”

From Florida, Sebastian will have at least one sleep-deprived fan following very closely in the middle of the night as he attempts to become the first American Australian Open boys’ singles champion since Donald Young in 2005.

“It’s very worth it,” Korda said. “But trust me, it’s nerve-wracking.”

Opportunity is knocking at Melbourne Park, and either the pair of Oliver Marach/Mate Pavic or Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah will seize that chance Saturday evening to claim their maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

Marach and Pavic, the No. 7 seeds, entered the tournament on fire and have kept the momentum going at the year’s first major. The Austrian-Croatian duo captured its second and third ATP World Tour titles as a team at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (d. Murray/Soares) and the ASB Classic (d. Mirnyi/Oswald) in the first and second week of the season, respectively.

And the duo will be able to rely on experience in a Grand Slam final as well. Last year, they fell in an epic five-set marathon in the Wimbledon final against Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, losing 13-11 in the fifth set, making that the second-longest fifth set in a Wimbledon doubles final in the Open Era. John McEnroe and Michael Stich won the 1992 championship 19-17 in the decider against Jim Grabb and Richey Reneberg.

“Losing the Wimbledon final will help us a lot,” Pavic said. “We already have some experience from that. We’ve been there already once, so looking forward to the match.”

Marach and Pavic are battle-tested, too. Not only do they enter the final unbeaten in their past 20 matches dating back to last season, but they have won four three-setters at Melbourne Park, including two in third-set tie-breaks in the quarter-finals (d. Daniell/Inglot) and semi-finals (d. McLachlan/Struff). They have yet to face match point in the tournament.

“It’s exceptional what they’re doing this year. To win already two [ATP World Tour] 250 tournaments, to come out here and back it up with a [Grand Slam] final already,” Farah said. “We just have to focus on our tennis and hope for the best.”

On the other side of the net will be a Colombian team that has had no such difficulty advancing through the draw. Cabal and Farah have yet to lose a set at the year’s first major, and have not been broken since the event’s first round, when the 11th seeds lost serve twice against home favourites Marc Polmans and Andrew Whittington.

“It’s amazing. It’s great for Colombia,” Cabal said. “It’s been an amazing run. We’ve been playing better and better every time.”

Cabal and Farah, who have teamed since 2010, advanced to their first Grand Slam final when they defeated six-time former Australian Open champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan for the fourth consecutive time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry in the semi-finals.

“This team is very underrated,” Marach said. “They have beaten all the top teams, and just a little bit missing to get to the Top 10… will be a tough match, but we know we’re going to get chances.”

The winners will earn 2,000 ATP Doubles Rankings points and claim their share of $700,000, while the runner-ups will capture 1,200 points and split $350,000.