MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Abigail Spears played her part at the Australian Open “30-fun” party by winning the mixed doubles title.
The 35-year-old Spears teamed with Colombia’s Juan Sebastian Cabal to beat second-seeded Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig 6-2 6-4 in the final Sunday on Rod Laver Arena.
Spears was striving to win her first Grand Slam title in her farewell year. She plans to retire at the end of this season after a career in which she was twice runner-up in mixed doubles finals with Mexican Santiago Gonzalez at the U.S. Open in 2013 and 2014.
The triumph by Spears and the 30-year-old Cabal continued the veteran’s theme of the championships with all players in the men’s and women’s singles finals aged 30 or older. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were playing for the men’s championship Sunday night.
The 35-year-old Serena Williams coined the term “30-fun” after beating her 36-year-old old sister, Venus, in the oldest women’s final – in terms of combined ages – in the Open era.