'Curse-breaker' Hsieh Su-wei helps Jan Zielinski make Polish history in Australian Open mixed doubles

Victory for Hsieh Su-wei and Jan Zielinski in the Australian Open mixed doubles final wasn't just dramatic. It was also historic. Hsieh and Zielinski saved championship point in a 6-7(5), 6-4, [11-9] win over No. 2 seeds Desirae Krawczyk and Neal Skupski in Friday's final, denying the American a career Grand Slam in the process.

While Hsieh won her seventh career major, and first in mixed, 27-year-old Zielinski won his first Slam of any kind—making him the first Polish player to win a Grand Slam in mixed doubles. Afterwards, he revealed that their victorious partnership only came to be at the 11th hour. Neither player had a committed partner as the entry deadline approached.

"When I saw Su-wei's name on the looking list, I was, like, 'Oh, actually, this could be the best partner I ever had. Yeah, let's give it a try, let's text, let's see if she wants to play.' She agreed on the same day, her coach agreed to play on the same day," he said.

"I was just looking forward to have some fun on court, seeing how it works out, how it plays out, and I knew before we stepped on court, Su-wei is a very experienced doubles player. You know, she has a ton of experience under her, and she can carry us a long way. It ended up being a decent run, I would say."

But in addition to coming from a set down, and saving championship point, the No. 3 seeds also overcame the specter superstition to win it all.

Q. Jan, you're the first Polish player to win a mixed doubles Grand Slam. What does that mean to you?

JAN ZIELINSKI: It means a lot. Since yesterday I was getting a lot of messages, a lot of statistics that there was four Polish players lost in the finals before. Had match points even.

You know, it started crumbling in my head today when we were up a lot in the super-tiebreak, and then things started getting out of control a little bit. We were down a match point. Saved the match point. I was, like, I don't want to be this next guy that, you know, we had chances again and people are going to be talking, like, you know, again, chances but there's a curse.

But Su-Wei said before the match when we were walking onto the warmup that she's a curse breaker. Yeah, she is. Thanks to her for breaking the Polish curse in the mixed doubles finals.

Later in the press conference, Hsieh explained the meaning behind the nickname.

Q. Why are you the curse breaker? Have you had a history of breaking curses?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Okay, there is a curse in Taiwan. If you shake a hand with a person, then you're gonna have really bad result after that, and there's a few players that's that. But me, I'm the only person I shake the hand and I still win the championships and then I win the Grand Slam next year. So I say I'm the curse breaker (smiling).

At age 38, Hsieh played her last Grand Slam in singles in Melbourne—she lost in the first round of qualifying—but the one-of-a-kind personality says that she has no plans on slowing down on the doubles court. In fact, in 48 hours, she and Elise Mertens will play in the Australian Open women's doubles final.

"I still thinking the doubles is really fun, and I have a great partner, I want to enjoy more in tennis, not to get injury and retire, out of the tournament. No, I'm not going to do this," she said. "So I try to slow down and play less tournament and try to manage the fitness and the body will go to be more healthy on the court, and play more fun tennis."