MELBOURNE -- UCLA tennis alum Abigail Spears, along with partner Juan Sebastian Cabal, claimed the Australian Open mixed doubles championship Sunday. The unseeded pair defeated the second-seeded duo of Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.

The win marked the first Grand Slam title for Spears and Cabal. Spears previously reached the US Open mixed doubles final in 2013 and 2014 with partner Santiago Gonzalez. In 2014, Spears and Gonzalez lost to a team that included one of her 2017 Australian Open foes, Mirza.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that Spears has recorded at least a semifinals appearance in a Grand Slam doubles tournament. In 2014, she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, then followed that effort with semifinal appearances at Wimbledon each of the next two years. Spears also reached the third round of the Australian Open as a singles player in 2005.

Spears starred for UCLA in 2000, her lone season with the Bruins. She earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 accolades as the Bruins finished 17-9 and tied for fifth in the nation.