A PROMISING combo of Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala and Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff has ended prematurely, as the duo was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open doubles.
The Eala-Gauff combination defeated the tournament’s incumbent champions, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini of Italy, in three sets, 5-7, 6-3, 7-10.
Given that this was their first tournament together, and with the home audience cheering on their Italian opponents throughout the game, Eala and Gauff performed admirably.
Before reaching the quarterfinals of the 2025 Italian Open Women’s Double, Eala and Gauff defeated Tyra Grant and Lisa Pigato 6-2, 6-3, in the Round of 16 in Rome. A really dominant performance for a first-time pairing.
Meanwhile, the Italian team will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face a Russian pair, Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, in an attempt to retain their championship in the highly regarded tournament.
Separate Ways
For the time being, the duo will concentrate on their individual tennis careers. Earlier in the day, Gauff defeated Andreeva in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), to advance to the women’s singles semifinals.
Gauff, the US Open champion, has “a lot of confidence” in the last four players, including tournament favorite Aryna Sabalenka, who faces Zheng Qinwen later on Wednesday.
She is aiming for her first trophy of the season ahead of Roland Garros, which begins later this month, after losing the Madrid final to Sabalenka.
With her performance in Rome, she is on track to move up to number two in the world rankings. Meanwhile, World No. 70 Eala had failed to go past the first round, losing to Marta Kostyuk.
