Tennis-Mladenovic and Dodig cruise to Australian Open mixed doubles title (updated)

Fourlis Holdings SA

28/01/2022 04:04

(Adds details, quotes)
    MELBOURNE, Jan 28 (Reuters) - France's Kristina Mladenovic
and Croatian Ivan Dodig swept to a 6-3 6-4 victory against local
duo Jaimee Fourlis and Jason Kubler to claim the Australian Open
mixed doubles crown at Melbourne Park on Friday.
    Playing under a closed roof on Rod Laver Arena due to rain,
Mladenovic and Dodig got off to a solid start, securing a vital
break at 4-3 before closing out the set after some big serving
from the Frenchwoman. 
    The Australian wildcard pairing were broken again early in
the second set as Dodig's exquisite play at the net proved too
good for Fourlis on serve. 
    The 22-year-old, however, made amends right away and forced
Dodig into an error to get the break back and level at 2-2.
    Momentum swung back quickly to Mladenovic and Dodig,
however, and they secured another break before a fine angled
volley from Mladenovic gave the fifth-seeded pair their first
Grand Slam title together. 
    It was a third Grand Slam mixed doubles title for
Mladenovic, while Dodig now has four. 
    "We texted each other many times to play mixed. What a way
to end our first time playing together," said Mladenovic, who
last won the mixed doubles at the Australian Open with Daniel
Nestor in 2014.
    "I didn't play mixed for a long time. To partner with
Ivan... he's an amazing singles player, in my opinion. Now he's
showing his skills all around the court in doubles." 
    Dodig, who partnered Filip Polasek to clinch the men's
doubles last year, said their styles suited each other. 
    "I had the experience of playing with a couple of different
partners. (Kristina) is playing very good from deuce, very good
forehand. A little bit easier for me to adapt to her game. I
think we are just a great match together," said the 37-year-old.
 
    

 (Reporting by Dhruv Munjal in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter
Rutherford
)
 ((Dhruv.Munjal@thomsonreuters.com; +91 9818291916;))