MELBOURNE: Wildcards John Peers and Olivia Gadecki became the first team to retain the Australian Open mixed-doubles title since 1988-89 when they outlasted French pair Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard on Friday.
They came through 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 on Rod Laver Arena to deny France a first mixed-doubles crown at a Grand Slam since Roland Garros in 2004.
It was a third Slam mixed-doubles title for Peers, to go with one men’s doubles crown, and the second for Gadecki.
The last team to retain an Australian Open mixed-doubles title was the Czech Jana Novotna and American Jim Pugh.