Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff
Top seeds Pegula and Gauff will face the challenge of Japanese duo Shibahara and Aoyama in the Quarter-finals of the Italian Open
Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff form a strong doubles pair and they have already won two WTA doubles titles this year – the Qatar Open and the Miami Open. Pegula and Gauff complement each other’s playing style very well and it shows in their recent results. The American duo finished runners-up in their last event – the Madrid Open and are understandably pretty high on confidence.
They began their campaign at the Italian Open with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Kalashnikova/Sizikova and followed it up with another impressive victory against Melichar/Panova to set up a quarter-final clash against sixth seeds Shibahara/Aoyama. Pegula/Gauff are the favourites to go all the way and clinch the title but there is certainly no room for complacency in their upcoming encounter.
Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama are a relatively new doubles pairing but they have put on a good show so far at the Italian Open. They kickstarted their campaign with a comprehensive straight sets win over Routliffe and Guarachi. In the Round of 16, they pulled off an impressive victory against the Russian pair of Alexandria and Potapova. The Japanese duo are yet to drop a set in Rome and being the sixth seeds, they will believe that they have what it takes to clinch the crown. However, they will certainly face a tough task against top seeds Pegula and Gauff.
Date – Wednesday, 17th May
Court Type – Clay outdoor surface
Telecast – Tennis Channel
Start Time – To be Announced
Location – Foro Italico
Match details – Quarter-final
Pegula/Gauff and Shibahara/Aoyama have played each other once before on the WTA tour. The sole encounter was played in Melbourne earlier this year with the Japanese pair emerging victorious in a thrilling encounter and thereby leads 1-0 on head-to-head. On paper though, Pegula/Gauff are the favourites both in terms of form and rankings. However, one can certainly not rule out the Japanese duo and they are expected to put up a strong fight. We are predicting an intense clash with the American pair eventually edging out their opponents in three sets.
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