2012 French Open: Italians win women’s doubles title

One down, one more to go. Italian Sara Errani and compatriot Roberta Vinci teamed up to win the women’s doubles crown at the 2012 French Open.

The Italians beat Russians Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win their first Grand Slam doubles title. Errani is the first player since Kim Clijsters in 2003 to reach the singles and doubles final at the French Open.

Errani and Vinci are no longer new at the final stage of a Grand Slam doubles event. In January, they finished runner up at the Australian Open. They had a magnificent claycourt season, winning three titles along the way in Acapulco, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome and this time to cap off the amazing claycourt season with the claycourt Grand Slam event – French Open.

It will still be a battle between Italy and Russia in Saturday’s women’s singles final with Errani facing new world number one Maria Sharapova. Mary Pierce of France in 2000 is the last woman to win both French Open titles which can be emulated by Errani if she wins on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Sharapova can potentially claim her career Grand Slam on Saturday since the Roland Garros title is the only missing singles Slam title that she’s yet to win.