DOHA, Qatar - Cara Black and Liezel Huber will conclude the 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season as the No.1 doubles team for the third consecutive year. When the new rankings are released on Monday, November 2, Black and Huber will retain the No.1 ranking they have held since November 12, 2007.

Watch live doubles from Doha this weekend on TennisTV.com!

The duo has advanced to the finals of the Sony Ericsson Championships - Doha 2009 this week as they compete to become the second team ever to win three or more titles at the season-ending event, joining Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver (1981-85, 1986-89, 1991).

Black and Huber represent two of the six players in Tour history to hold the No.1 ranking for more than 100 weeks as Black will increase her career total to 148 weeks, second only to Martina Navratilova (377 weeks), while Huber will boost her career total to 112 weeks (totals run through the year, including the week of December 28). Black and Huber are only the fourth doubles pair to jointly hold the No.1 doubles ranking since its inception in 1984.

"It's really amazing," Huber said. "I wasn't thinking of it today and when we were done with the match I said to Cara, 'What does that mean, are we No.1?' This is a great way to end the year, not just clinching the No.1 ranking but playing in the final of the Sony Ericsson Championships."

Cara Black followed, "We're absolutely thrilled and I'm really proud of our efforts. It's been a tough year, we had some tough losses and some great wins. The US Open was a great effort, we had some awesome matches there, but to come here and defend it at the Championships means a lot to us. We're absolutely thrilled and I'm going to go home and enjoy it and hold the trophy high."

"Cara and Liezel have held the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour world No.1 ranking for two years, an incredible achievement," said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the Tour. "It is difficult enough to end the season at the top of the rankings once, but to repeat that feat three times proves that Cara and Liezel are two of the greatest doubles champions in the history of the Tour."

"We are delighted to congratulate Cara and Liezel on ending the season as the best doubles team in the world once again," said Aldo Liguori, Corporate Vice President and Head of Global Communications & PR for Sony Ericsson. "They always bring tremendous athleticism and excitement on the court and are wonderful champions and terrific ambassadors for the sport."

Check out photos from the doubles competition right now in the gallery!

Black and Huber have had a stellar 2009 season, winning five titles along the way, four of them Premier events (Paris [Indoors], Dubai, Madrid, Cincinnati) and one International event (Birmingham). They were also runners-up once (US Open) and reached another six semifinals (including two more majors).

Black and Huber first teamed up on the Tour in 2001, winning their very first tournament in Tokyo. They played sporadically until the start of 2005; shortly after, they won Rome, reached the final of Roland Garros and won Wimbledon before Huber suffered a severe ACL injury which later required surgery, bringing their season to a premature end. The two reunited at the start of the 2007 season, winning the Australian Open, and they haven't looked back since. They have compiled a 221-57 match record winning 27 titles together, including four Grand Slams (2005 Wimbledon, 2007 Australian Open, 2007 Wimbledon, 2008 US Open) and two Sony Ericsson Championships (2007, 2008). Black has held the individual doubles No. 1 ranking since July 9, 2007, with Huber joining her at No.1 on November 12, 2007.

History of year-end world No.1 doubles players
2009 - Cara Black & Liezel Huber
2008 - Cara Black & Liezel Huber
2007 - Cara Black & Liezel Huber
2006 - Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur
2005 - Cara Black
2004 - Virginia Ruano Pascual
2003 - Paola Suárez
2002 - Paola Suárez
2001 - Lisa Raymond
2000 - Julie Halard-Decugis
1999 - Anna Kournikova
1998 - Natasha Zvereva
1997 - Natasha Zvereva
1996 - Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario
1995 - Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario
1994 - Natasha Zvereva
1993 - Gigi Fernandez
1992 - Helena Sukova
1991 - Jana Novotna
1990 - Helena Sukova
1989 - Martina Navratilova
1988 - Martina Navratilova
1987 - Martina Navratilova
1986 - Martina Navratilova
1985 - Pam Shriver
1984 - Martina Navratilova