Aus Open: Mattek-Sands, Safarova clinch women’s doubles title

The American-Czech pair of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova clinched the Australian Open women's doubles title with a 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai.

Lucie Safarova (left) and Bethanie Mattek-Sands with their Australian Open title.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova, the second seeds, clinched the women’s doubles title with a 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai. It was the pair’s second Australian Open title, having won it in 2015.

The American-Czech pairing battled past 12th-seeded Andrea Hlavackova, also from the Czech Republic, and China's Peng Shuai 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.

The opening set, however, was taken via a tie-breaker by Hlavackova and Shuai, after the teams traded a break each. Mattek-Sands and Safarova turned it around for themselves by securing an early break in the second set.

They rode with the momentum thereafter to clinch the win, breaking into a synchronised dance routine in front of cameras after having lifted their trophy.

Mattek-Sands and Safarova got the decisive break in the fourth game of the deciding set to go 3-1 up after Hlavackova sent down a double fault.

It was their fourth major title together, and ninth overall, after winning at Melbourne and Roland Garros in 2015 and at the US Open last year.