Doubles glory for Williams sisters

The Williams sisters justified their controversial top seeding at the Australian Open by claiming the women’s doubles title.

Americans Serena and Venus, who will battle out the singles final for the fourth consecutive Grand Slam, beat Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual and Argentinean Paulo Suarez 4-6 6-4 6-3.

The pair are not regular doubles competitors and Venus did not even have a ranking, but they were given a wild card to enter the Australian Open having won five doubles Grand Slams.

The decision upset Ruano Pascual and Suarez, who were ranked number one in the world, but was proven justified as the Americans came from a set down to win.

The sisters won at Melbourne Park in 2001 and at Wimbledon last year, in the only Grand Slam doubles competition they played in 2002.