Kirilenko and Petrova claim women’s doubles title at Sony Ericsson open in Miami

Russian duo of Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko claimed the Sony Ericsson Open women’s doubles title in Miami on Sunday after defeating sixth-seeded Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani of Italy 7-6 (7-0), 4-6, 10-4.

The No. 5 seed Russians outlasted the veteran Italians in a 55-minute first set during which the teams traded breaks three times. The Russian tandem overcame a number of sloppy errors, including one point when they collided with each other as they both chased for the ball.

«We have good communication,» Petrova said during the awards ceremony, as she and her partner were sporting cheeky outfits with «bunny ears» in the trophy presentation ceremony. «She [Kirilenko] is always having fun on the court. If we lose, we’re not being very down. We kind of look forward to the next one. I guess just being positive is our key.»

«The bunny ears were actually a dare from Maria,» added Petrova. «She purchased them like a week ago, and she said, ‘If we’re gonna win this tournament, we have to put them on right away on the court.’ ’’