Advertisement

Errani, Vinci win French Open doubles

Sara Errani , shown during singles semifinal play Thursday, teamed with Roberta Vinci to post a three-set win Friday and claim the French Open women's doubles title. She'll play for the singles championship Saturday. UPI/David Silpa
Sara Errani , shown during singles semifinal play Thursday, teamed with Roberta Vinci to post a three-set win Friday and claim the French Open women's doubles title. She'll play for the singles championship Saturday. UPI/David Silpa | License Photo

PARIS, June 8 (UPI) -- Italians Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci claimed a straight-set victory in the French Open women's double final over Russians Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova.

Errani and Vinci, who were the runners-up in doubles at the Australian Open in three sets to another Russian team, topped Kirilenko and Petrova 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Errani and Vinci cashed in all three of their third-set break chances to get in position for the win.

Advertisement

The victory marked the first Grand Slam title of any kind for Errani. She'll be going for a rare double Saturday when she playes Maria Sharapova for the women's singles title.

The last player to win both singles and doubles in the same year was Mary Pierce in 2000.

The feat has been accomplished six other times in the Open Era, with Chris Evert (1974 and 1975) and Martina Navratilova (1982 and 1984) doing it twice. The others were by Billy Jean King in 1972 and Margaret Court in 1973.

Latest Headlines