Photo from Australian Open (@ausopen) Twitter account
Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek upset defending champions Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram to win the Australian Open men’s doubles title Sunday — their first as a team.
The Croat-Slovak combination, seeded nine, proved too strong for the British-American fifth seeds, outlasting them 6-3, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.
“Amazing memories. This is our first Grand Slam as a team and we’re having a lot of fun. I hope it continues.” said Dodig.
The moment @DodigTennis and Filip Polasek were waiting for 🙌#AusOpen men's doubles champions 🏆#AO2021 pic.twitter.com/8XZAw79DXR
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 21, 2021
Their win deprived Salisbury and Ram from becoming the first pair to successfully defend their crown at Melbourne Park since Bob and Mike Bryan won three in a row from 2009-11.
It also put an end to Ram’s hopes of leaving Australia with two titles after he claimed the mixed doubles honours on Saturday alongside Barbora Krejcikova.
While a breakthrough Grand Slam for Polasek, it was Dodig’s second after he won Roland Garros in 2015 when teamed with Marcelo Melo.
Congratulations to our #AO2021 men's doubles champions @DodigTennis and Filip Polasek 🙌🏆#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/9atifR7VMk
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 21, 2021
Polasek became only the second Slovak, man or woman, to win a Slam title in any discipline after four-time mixed doubles champion Daniela Hantuchova.