Eala-Gauff pair sizzles

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala and Coco Gauff got off to a flying start in their first team-up, drubbing Alexandra Panova of Russia and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-3, 6-1, in the Italian Open women’s doubles Round of 64 yesterday in Rome.

The Filipina-American pair needed 59 minutes to sweep past their rivals behind a strong start in each set to make the second round.

Eala, world No. 70, and Gauff, world No. 3, will face either the Italian tandem of Tyra Caterina Grant and Lisa Pigato or the seventh-seeded duo of Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina and Irina Khromacheva of Russia in the next round.

The 19-year-old Eala and 21-year-old Gauff had contrasting results in their singles campaigns before joining forces for the doubles division of the WTA 1000 clay tourney.

Eala, who’s warming up for her Grand Slam main draw debut in the French Open on May 25 to June 8 in Paris, absorbed a 6-0, 6-1 beating at the hands of world No. 27 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the Round of 128.