Olympic champions Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini beat Veronika Kudemertova and Chan Hao Ching 6-4 6-4 in the doubles final becoming the first Italian doubles champions in the history of the China Open in Beijing. They have achieved their biggest hard-court title in the Chinese tournament.
After an early trade of breaks in the second and third games Errani and Paolini won a crucial deciding point to hold serve for 4-3. Both teams went on serve until the 12th game, when Errani broke serve with two overheads, as Kudemertova was serving on deciding point.
The second set featured just one service hold. Errani and Paolini broke serve in the eighth game to earn a chance to serve for the match at 5-3 but they were broken at 15. The Italian team sealed the win when Kudemertova made a double fault on the deciding point.
Errani and Paolini have won their third WTA title of the season following Linz and Rome. They also won the Olympic gold medal in Paris and finished runner-up to Katerina Siniakova and Coco Gauff in Roland Garros final. Errani has won the 31st doubles title of her career, while Paolini has lifted her fifth doubles trophy.
The Italian team dropped just sets en route to the final. They beat Monica Nicolescu and Cristina Bucsa in the opening round, Aldila Sutjiadi and Leylah Fernandez, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Laura Siegemund, and Miami champions Sofia Kenin and Bethanie Mattek Sands.