THE newfound chemistry between Alex Eala and Coco Gauff will once again be tested on Tuesday night (Manila time) as they face the young Italian pair of Tyra Grant and Lisa Pigato in the Round of 16 of the WTA 1000 Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Coming off a dominant victory in their opener against Alexandra Panova and Fanny Stollar, 6–3, 6–1, the Filipino-American duo will look to carry their momentum into their next match against the young challengers, who are ranked No. 335 and No. 548 in the WTA rankings, respectively.
READ: Coco Gauff - Alex Eala doubles partnership started with a DM on IG
Pigato and Grant, wildcard entries in the tournament, stunned the seventh-seeded duo of Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan and Irina Khromacheva of Russia in a thrilling three-setter, 2–6, 6–4, 10–5, in the first round.
Both Pigato, 21, and Grant, 17, boast strong junior resumes, each having claimed at least one Grand Slam title each in the juniors circuit.
On their end, world No. 3 Gauff and Eala, currently ranked No. 64, aim to sustain their winning rhythm and aggressive play against the unfamiliar Italian pair, whom they have never previously faced on court.
The match is set for 7:00 PM (Est. PH time) at the Pietrangeli in Rome.
Last week, Alex Eala saw her singles campaign come to an early end following a first-round loss to Marta Kostyuk, who later fell to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 16 on Monday night.
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff, ranked No. 4 in the tournament, has advanced to the quarterfinals, where she will face Mira Andreeva after dispatching Emma Raducanu in the Round of 16.
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