{"id":20548,"date":"2017-01-27T11:49:14","date_gmt":"2017-01-27T11:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=20548"},"modified":"2017-01-27T11:49:14","modified_gmt":"2017-01-27T11:49:14","slug":"mattek-sands-safarova-win-2nd-aussie-open-doubles-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/tennis\/mattek-sands-safarova-win-2nd-aussie-open-doubles-title.html","title":{"rendered":"Mattek-Sands, Safarova win 2nd Aussie Open doubles title"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mattek-Sands, Safarova win 2nd Aussie Open doubles title<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Mattek-Sands, Safarova win 2nd Aussie Open doubles title:- American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Czech Lucie Safarova enhanced their reputation as the dominant duo in women’s doubles by winning the Australian Open title for the second time.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second-seeded pair had to scramble from behind to eventually overwhelm Czech Andrea Hlavackova and China’s Peng Shuai 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-3 in a tense final.<\/span><\/p>\n

It extended the pair’s unbeaten record to 12 matches at Melbourne Park – they won the 2015 doubles title in their debut as a team, but didn’t play together last year because illness forced Safarova to miss the championships.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was their fourth Grand Slam success after also winning the 2015 French Open and last year’s US Open. Not only did Mattek-Sands strengthen her grip on the No.1 ranking and Safarova rose to a career-high No.2, the pair shared 660,000 Australian dollars ($500,000) in prizemoney.<\/span><\/p>\n

The victors did a rehearsed dance routine on Rod Laver Arena after being presented with their trophies and held aloft the perpetual cup.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We were celebrating like 5-year-old kids out there. When we got the trophy and saw our names on it and to know they will be on it again is special,” Mattek-Sands said. “She’s my rock out there. We play aggressive and have fun. We really balance each other out.”<\/span><\/p>\n

It was the first meeting of the teams in which all four players have won at least two Grand Slam doubles titles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hlavackova and Peng, who had not dropped a set on the way to the final, took an early service break and seemed in command of the opening set.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Mattek-Sands, 31, and Safarova, 29, were able to retrieve the situation and the set headed inevitably to a tiebreaker. Hlavackova, 30, and Peng, 31, surged to the lead and held on to close it out 7-3.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hlavackova and Peng both lost serve to slump to 0-3 in the second set before breaking Mattek-Sands to get on the scoreboard. It proved to be merely a slight interruption for Mattek-Sands and Safarova as they powered through the second set to square the final.<\/span><\/p>\n

The set swung on Hlavackova’s serve in the fourth game of the deciding set. After seemingly being in control, she fended off a break point and then double-faulted on the next one to give up the crucial service break.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the mixed doubles, second-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia and India’s Sania Mirza will play Colombian Juan Sebastian Cabal and American Abigail Spears in the final on Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Dodig-Mirza combination beat Australians Sam Groth and Samantha Stosur 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 in their semifinal. Cabal and Spears beat Chris Guccione of Australia and Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine 7-6 (1), 6-2.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/tennis\/2017\/01\/27\/mattek-sands-safarova-win-2nd-aussie-open-doubles-title\/97126216\/<\/span><\/div>\n

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