Errani and Vinci win Australian Open doubles for Italy

Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci wore down local hopes Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to become the first Italian pair to win the women's doubles at the Australian Open on Friday.

It was a case of second time lucky at Melbourne Park for the Italians, who were denied a maiden Grand Slam doubles title by Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva in the final last year.

Errani and Vinci, wearing identical orange skirts and white singlets, captured the decisive break at 3-2 in the third set, and clinched the title on the second match-point when Dellacqua clubbed a backhand wide of the tramlines.

The Italians celebrated their third doubles title in the past four Grand Slams, after winning last year at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open.

Photograph: Damir Sagolj/Reuters