Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci have been voted WTA Doubles Team Of The Year for the third time. Only three other teams have won it three or more times - who are they? (Source: WTA)
Roberta Vinci e Sara Errani (Source: Getty Images)
After another season of phenomenal results together, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci finished 2014 as the WTA Year-End World No.1s presented by Dubai Duty Free in doubles, and there's some icing on the cake - they've been voted WTA Doubles Team Of The Year.
"We're feeling amazing and really happy about this award," Errani said. "Three years in a row is something special. It's been a fantastic year for us and getting the Career Grand Slam is something we'll never forget. We want to thank our families, our teams for constantly supporting us, and especially all the beautiful fans around the world. Without you we're nothing. We're looking forward to a wonderful 2015 - see you back on the court soon!"
Having finished 2013 as co-World No.1s, Errani and Vinci had targets on their backs all year, and they even surrendered the top spot to Asian trailblazers Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai for a few months. But all in all they handled the pressure extremely well, winning five WTA doubles titles - including Grand Slams at the Australian Open and Wimbledon - and finishing co-World No.1s again.
Their run to the title at the All-England Club was a very meaningful one, as they became the fifth team in the Open Era to complete the Career Doubles Grand Slam after Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver, Kathy Jordan and Anne Smith, Gigi Fernández and Natasha Zvereva and the Williams sisters.
Their solidarity hasn't gone unnoticed either. Errani and Vinci are just the second team in WTA history to finish more than one season as co-World No.1s together, after Cara Black and Liezel Huber, who achieved the feat three times - three years in a row to be exact - in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
And now, the Italians have been voted WTA Doubles Team Of The Year for the third time, the first and second times coming in 2012 and 2013. Only three other teams in the 38-year history of this award have won three or more times, namely Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver (who won it eight times from 1981 to 1988), Gigi Fernández and Natasha Zvereva (who won it four times in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1997) and Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suárez (three times in 2002, 2003 and 2004).
Errani and Vinci won the media vote for WTA Doubles Team Of The Year by a wide margin, receiving 41 of the 58 votes. They also won the fan vote - 42% of you voted for the Italian duo.
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