Rome: Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani in semifinals, Kichenok and Ostapenko knockout
WTA 1000 Rome: Jasmine Paolini/Sara Errani- Lyudmyla Kichenok/Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 5-7 10-5
Triumphant day for the Italian doubles at the Internazionali d'Italia. After the triumph of Vavassori and Bolelli in the men's, è came also that of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the women's, who imposed themselves in three sets over the pair composed of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Jelena Ostapenko with the score of 6-3 5-7 10-5, after one hour and forty-seven minutes of play.
Kichenok/Ostapenko manage to nullify a break ball in the opening set and they are the first to stretch, snatching service from the Azzurri. Errani and Paolini managed to find the immediate counterbreak and then took the serve from their opponents again, taking it to 4-3. The Italian pair then found another break in the ninth game, ending the first fraction on 6-3.
In the second set, too, it was the rivals who got off to a better start, but Errani and Paolini managed to find the counterbreak immediately. From 3-3 came five consecutive breaks with the Ukrainian-Letton pair managing to be more cynical and close the partial on 7-5.
The decisive super tie-break è characterized by total domination of the blue duo, which managed to take advantage of the numerous mistakes made by the opponents by quickly taking over 9-2. Kichenok and Ostapenko had a mini-reaction, but the blue duo managed to manage the lead and won the match 10-5.
In the semifinals Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani will face the pair formed by Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk, number eight in the seeding, who beat Mexican Olmos and Russian Panova 6-3 7-5.
