Errani, Vinci repeat as Australian Open doubles champions

MELBOURNE, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci took a three-set win Friday over Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina and repeated as Australian Open women's doubles champions.

Errani and Vinci rallied from a third-set deficit for a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory. The win marked the fourth Grand Slam doubles title for Errani and Vinci, who needed to win the title in Melbourne to retain the world No. 1 ranking in women's doubles.

Makarova and Vesnina, seeded No. 3, had beaten the Italian team the last two times they played and seemed in control when they won five straight games for a 5-2 lead in the third set. Errani and Vinci, however, answered with a five-game winning streak of their own and won the championship.

"It was very strange, very difficult," Errani said. "We went from 2-0 up in the third set to 5-2 down in the third set, and we weren't really playing very well at that time. But from there we knew we had to keep going and we were able to make it."

Makarova and Vesnina defeated Errani and Vinci for the French Open women's doubles title last year. If the Russians had won Friday, Vesnina would have taken over the No. 1 ranking in women's doubles.