MELBOURNE: Australians Olivia Gadecki and John Peers battled back from a set down to defeat compatriots Kimberly Birrell and John-Patrick Smith 3-6 6-4 10-6 in the mixed doubles final at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Birrell and Smith raced to a 3-0 lead in the opening set on Rod Laver Arena and while they were pegged back to 5-2 they kept their cool to close out it out in 34 minutes.
Gadecki and Peers stepped up a gear to level the contest in a tight second set before going on to win the 10-point tiebreaker and become the fourth Australian duo in the Open-era to win the mixed doubles title at the tournament.
While it was Gadecki’s first mixed doubles title at a Grand Slam, Peers picked up his second having won the 2022 US Open in the category.
The 36-year-old also won men’s doubles gold at the Paris Olympics with compatriot Matthew Ebden and the 2017 Australian Open alongside Finn Henri Kontinen.
“I would like to say fantastic job to Kim and JP for a great week, it is so nice to play in an all-Aussie final,” Gadecki said in the post-match presentation.
“Thanks so much for playing with me Peersy and letting me ride the wave.”
Smith, who was also a runner-up in the mixed doubles at Melbourne Park in 2019, would have hoped for a brighter day on his 36th birthday.
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“Sorry we couldn’t get it done on your birthday, but I hope that (singing) makes up for it a little bit,” said Birrell, as she asked the crowd to sing ‘happy birthday’ to Smith.
Saturday’s match was the first all-Australian final at the tournament in the Open-era and the first since 1967.
It also marks the 14th edition of the Australian Open where a home player was crowned champion in at least one category.
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