Errani and Paolini in the semi-final of the doubles in Tokyo

In Tokyo, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini are in the semi-finals in the doubles tournament of the "Toray Pan Pacific Open", WTA 500 on hard court. The Italians prevailed 6-3, 6-4, in one hour and thirteen minutes of the match, over the American Asia Muhammad and the Chinese Zhang Shuai, who had defeated the Norwegian Ulrikke Eikkeri and the American Quinn Gleason (11th in the Race), one of the rival pairs of the two Italians in the race for WTA Finals and now out of play.

In Tokyo Errani and Paolini aim to gain the last available pass in doubles at Indian Wells: in fact they occupy ninth place in the Race, and are virtually the last qualified, given the absence of Anna Danilina and the Serbian Aleksandra Krunic (third), because the latter tore the anterior cruciate ligament of her left knee at the US Open. Tomorrow the Italians will play it all out in the semi-final with the Slovakian Tereza Mihalikova and the British Olivia Nicholls (tenths in the Race), who beat the Estonian Ingrid Neel and the Mexican Giuliana Olmos in two sets. If successful, Errani/Paolini would go to the Finals for the third year in a row.