Ram, Salisbury combine to win Australian Open doubles title

Rajeev Ram's decision to focus on men's doubles paid off when he teamed with Joe Salisbury to win Australian Open title. 11th-seeded pair was in control from early in opening set to beat young Australian wild-card entries Max Purcell and Luke Saville 6-4, 6-2 in 70 minutes on Sunday at Rod Laver Arena.

It's Ram's second Grand Slam title — he combined with Barbora Krejcikova to win Australian Open mixed doubles last year. Krejcikova successfully defended that title with Croatia's Nikola Mektic on same court previous night.

Ram said he me call to pull out of Australian Open mixed doubles when he was ill late last year.

“I didn't have off-season I would have liked. So I came to Australia very unprepared, to ATP Cup (in Perth) and didn't feel great,” he said. "Me a call re that it wasn't going to be good for my health or eir of my partners, so I just decided that playing extra event (mixed) wasn't going to be good. Maybe I might have to stick with that decision w for rest of my career."

Ram, 35, is first American man to win Australian Open doubles title since Bryan brors in 2013.

This was Grand Slam final debut for 33-year-old Salisbury, first British player to win title since Jamie Murray in 2016 with Brazil's Bru Soares.

It was Ram's 58th men's doubles Grand Slam draw and his first finals appearance.

Purcell, 21, and Saville, 25, are first all-Australian pair to reach ir home men's doubles final since Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in 1998 —before Purcell was born.