Paolini and Errani to battle Andreeva and Shnaider for Olympic gold
WTAFriday, 02 August 2024 at 19:30
Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani will face Mirra
Andreeva and Diana Shnaider for the Olympic gold. The Italian third seeds lived
up to their favoritism in the semifinals, defeating the Czech pair Karolina
Muchova and Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-2.
The unseeded Individual Neutral Athletes Mirra
Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, who have eliminated three seeded pairs on their
way, awaited them in the final. In the semifinals, they knocked out the Spanish
eighth seeds Sara Sorribes Tormo and Cristina Bucsa, securing an Olympic medal.
Paolini and Errani dominate path to Olympic doubles final
The women's doubles draw featured several
surprises, including the early eliminations of favorite pairs Gauff/Pegula and
Krejcikova/Siniakova, who won't even compete for a medal. However, the Italian
duo of Paolini-Errani has been dominant on their way to the final, showcasing
the high level they’ve brought together in recent months.
At Roland Garros, they reached the final a few
months ago but lost to Gauff and Siniakova. Previously, they won titles at the
Rome Open and Linz Open this year, in addition to Monastir in 2023. They enter
the final as favorites, considering they’ve been competing together for a year.
On their way, they defeated the pairs Erin
Routliffe with Lulu Sun, then the locals Caroline Garcia and Diane Parry. In
the quarterfinals, the victims were the British Heather Watson and Katie
Boulter, while in the semifinals, they dispatched the Czechs Muchova/Noskova.
Errani will have the chance to achieve the
Golden Slam in doubles, considering she has already won all four Grand Slams in
the category between 2012 and 2014 while partnered with Roberta Vinci.
Andreeva and Shnaider shock the doubles draw
The pair of Individual Neutral Athletes Mirra
Andreeva and Diana Shnaider have been the revelation in the doubles draw,
especially considering they hadn’t paired together before and have limited
participation in doubles draws as they usually compete in singles.
In the first round, they defeated the
Australians Alja Tomljanovic and Olivia Gadecki, losing their only set of the
tournament. From there, they tipped the scales in their favor against highly
experienced doubles opponents. In the second round, they dispatched Gabriela
Dabrowski and Leylah Fernandez (5th seeds) and in the quarterfinals, they
stunned the Czech duo 7-time Grand Slam champions Barbora Krejcikova and
Katerina Siniakova (2nd seeds).
Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider at the Olympic Games.
The semifinals against the Spaniards Sorribes
Tormo and Bucsa were an easy match, and in less than an hour, they secured
their spot in the final. The 17-year-old Andreeva and 20-year-old Shnaider have
never won titles in doubles but could achieve an unexpected gold in their first
Olympic participation, although they’ll first have to defeat, for the fourth
time in the tournament, a seeded pair.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- "This of course a stark change to Rybakina who is obviously more timid..." That just may be the dumbest thing ever written about Lena. For a CCO, Mr. Gill seems to have either made an error in judgement -- or needed filler for this article -- to say something so ridiculous.
mandoist13-09-2026 - “The way I like to put it – no disrespect to anybody – is that this is her house, and all the other girls are just guests, and it’s time for them to go home” Well now... seems John Stacy has made a complete ass of himself. Doubt he'll be receiving any invitations to Lena's "house" any time soon.mandoist13-09-2026
- I am sorry, but Sabalenka has NO EXCUSE for her despicable behaviour. She lacks self and mouth control! The message is being sent but Saba isn't getting it! She is full of arrogance and pride. Hopefully, after this defeat she will be on the way to becoming a humble lady LIKE ELENA! I hope she never regains the world No. 1 until she develops some humility.Rapunzel13-09-2026
- Sabalenka began showing signs of her game gradually 'changing' since last season. I predicted her fascination with posting endless Selfies, participating in commercial media distractions and constant Social Media nonsense could impact her in a negative way. Her off-court Life was sure to interfere with her performace level. Visions of Raducanu, Giorgi, Bouchard come to mind. The Final yesterday was a weird case of polar-opposites. Sabalenka and Rybakina could not be any more different in personalities! Saba often portrays a somewhat fake persona, including her Phony Screaming. Her usual habit of acting like the nice girl with a sense of humor is a misconception. People take her lack of intellect as "cute" and "funny". So anyway... yesterday viewers witnessed that Fake Scream be reduced to a whimper and sometimes no vocal gymnastics at all once she knew the jig was up. We all saw her look into the camera post-match and say "F... You". Also, pretty hard to not see Saba making untoward facial expressions, rolling her eyes, etc., behind Rybakina while on the podium. Elena Rybakina, on the other hand, was her usual 'in-control' self as she spoke clearly and calmly, without making faces nor any ill-will toward anyone = 100% Class Act. Lena appeared more than aware of Saba's sour attitude and made a point of not looking in her direction most of the time. FWIW: I have never -- not ever -- heard Sabalenka make any sounds on practice courts. So it is indeed a nonsensical ruse as she thinks (incorrectly) it affects opponents. It does not. In fact, as was the case yesterday, I saw Lena occasionally take a side-eye glance at Saba on her way to the bench... as if to calculate her emotions. Saba is actually a very easy 'read'.mandoist13-09-2026
- WTA really, really hates this sort of thing. They surely are satisfied to make believe no such thing happens (or happened).mandoist13-09-2026
- WTA and ATP cannot even make their dope testing equal and precise across the board. They sure as hell cannot escape a stituation they themselves made over the ridiculous "penalty" of omitting a player's country flag. Nothing regarding which flags to display (or not) should be a Thing. It proves nothing; solves nothing. If anything, all it did was cause stress, tension, and even outbursts between players in the WTA locker room. Let's not even start with the asinine practice of not shaking hands at the net with "the enemy". There seems to be a general lack of intelligence behind Pro Tennis administrations' Closed Doors. .mandoist13-09-2026
- Big Babe Tennis! Hoping for a good final.DaveyWavey12-09-2026
- Director needs to return to his old "job" at the Australia Open. He's clueless in NYC.mandoist12-09-2026
- You keep writing ridiculous crap... why are you even watching tennis?mandoist12-09-2026
- They probably have a very good reason for this. I do not get it. Annoying that it finishes so late
AceOfBase12-09-2026
Loading
