Doubles pair Coco Gauff and Alex Eala sail into the quarter-finals of the Italian Open

The much-anticipated doubles pair of Coco Gauff and Alexandra Eala marched into the quarter-finals of the Italian Open tennis tournament after defeating Lisa Pigato and Tyra Caterina Grant 6-2, 6-3 in Rome on Tuesday (13 May).

Gauff, 21, and Eala, 19, may be a first-time pairing, but their on-court chemistry looks promising as they claimed their second straight-set victory since seeing off Alexandra Panova and Fanny Stollar in the opening round.

The duo leapt to a 3-0 lead in the first set before taking it 6-2 to cement their strong start. Their Italian opposition fared a little better in the second set, rallying back from 3-1 down to tie things up at 3-3. But that only prompted Gauff and Eala to find another gear and wrap up the match in just 66 minutes.

Their sights will now turn to the quarter-finals on Wednesday, where they will face another Italian partnership in Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.

The number three seeds and defending champions will undoubtedly be a tougher prospect for Gauff and Eala, who advanced to the Round of 16 after beating Yulia Putintseva and Leylah Fernandez.

Gauff will also be in action in the women's singles competition, where she will face Maria Andreeva in the quarter-finals, also on Wednesday.

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