The rally falls just short for the tandem of Alex Eala and Coco Gauff in the Italian Open quarterfinals, losing to defending champions Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani.
Defending champions Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani held off a gutsy challenge from Alex Eala and Coco Gauff to secure a spot in the 2025 Italian Open women’s doubles semifinals, pulling off a 7-5, 3-6, 10-7 win in the quarterfinals on Thursday (PH time).
The third-seeded Italian duo clawed back from a 3-5 deficit in the opening set and weathered a spirited fightback from Eala and Gauff, who were looking to continue their surprising run as an unseeded combination.
Gauff had earlier won her women’s singles quarterfinal against Mirra Andreeva, 6-4, 7-6(5), just two hours before returning to the court for doubles.
Despite the quick turnaround, the American star and the 19-year-old Eala showed flashes of brilliance, especially in a dominant second set.
But the experience and home-court poise of Paolini and Errani proved decisive in the final frame as they closed out the match and stayed on course for a successful title defense in Rome.
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]