Melbourne, Jan 24 (IANS): The top-seeded pair of Sara Errani and Robert Vinci defended their Australian Open women's doubles title by defeating Russian pair Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina here Friday.
Italians Errani and Vinci took two hours and six minutes to record a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win and became the first women's doubles team to win back-to-back Australian titles since Serena and Venus Williams in 2010, reports Xinhua.
Errani and Vinci dominated early before third-seeded Makarova and Venina applied pressure in the second set.
Four-time Grand Slam winners Errani and Vinci recovered a break before surging ahead late in the third set to close out the match.
Errani and Vinci retain their No.1 ranking with the win.