MANILA, Philippines — With a quick exit in the Italian Open singles, Alex Eala shifts focus on doubles in partnership with Coco Gauff of the United States.
The Filipina-American tandem will slug it out with Alexandra Panova of Russia and Fanny Stollar of Hungary in the Round of 64.
Gauff is playing in the doubles first after gaining a bye in the singles.
The 21-year-old Gauff is a doubles champion in the 2024 French Open with Kate?ina Siniaková of the Czech Republic, hinting at a strong showing for Gauff and Eala in Rome.
Eala is now looking for atonement in doubles after a near shutout against world No. 27 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, 6-0, 6-1, in Round 1 of the Italian Open singles yesterday.
Eala bled for just a game in the second set after being wiped out in the first, crashing out of the Rome tourney in just a little over an hour of play.
The Italian Open serves as Eala’s final tourney before a much-awaited Grand Slam main draw debut in the French Open on May 25 to June 8 in Paris.
Kostyuk, 22, will face WTA No. 15 and Italian Open No. 14 seed Daria Kasatkina of Australia in the Round of 64.
Eala, meanwhile, is moving forward with a partnership with Gauff.
Eala won the girls’ doubles in the 2020 Australian Open with Priska Madelyn Nugroho of Indonesia and the 2021 French Open with Russian partner Oksana Selekhmeteva.
