Errani and Paolini reach Tokyo doubles final and qualify for WTA Finals

Semifinal win in Tokyo

Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini beat Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls 6-4, 6-0 in the semifinal of the Toray Pan Pacific Open, a WTA 500 event played on hard courts at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. The win sends the Italian pair into the final on Sunday, 1 November, against Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Luisa Stefani of Brazil, the tournament's top seeds. Mihalikova of Slovakia and Nicholls of Britain, who are 10th in the Race, had also lost to Errani and Paolini earlier this year in Miami and Wuhan. It is the first time the Italian pair has played this tournament together.

The match started tightly, with the first set level at 4-4, but Errani and Paolini then won seven consecutive games. They also took six of the seven deciding deuce points, a run that wore down the Slovak and British pair.

Errani said after the match that doubles success depends on trust between partners.

“To succeed in doubles you need mutual trust. Today was a complicated match, especially at the start, and we are happy to have reached the final.”

A place in the WTA Finals

The semifinal also secured their place in the WTA Finals doubles, taking the last qualifying spot. Errani and Paolini are ninth in the Race, the final position that earns a berth for the event, which sources place in Indian Wells. That spot opened because Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic, who are third in the Race, are not taking part. Krunic tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee at the US Open, which forced her out. The result gives the Italian pair its third consecutive appearance in the doubles Finals.

Errani and Paolini together14

Paolini, all doubles15

Errani, all doubles57

Errani and Paolini together

14 finals

Paolini, all doubles

15 finals

Errani, all doubles

57 finals

Data from the article text

Their stated aim at the Finals is to get past the group stage for the first time.

Italian firsts and career totals

The final is the first in the tournament's history to feature an all-Italian pair. Italy is already on the tournament's roll of champions thanks to 2009, when Francesca Schiavone and Alisa Kleybanova beat Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama. Italian players reached the doubles final twice before, with Roberta Vinci and Els Callens in 2002 and Flavia Pennetta and Gisela Dulko in 2011. Sunday will be the 14th doubles final for Errani and Paolini together, the 15th in doubles for Paolini and the 57th for Errani.

Paolini said she enjoys the city and recalled that the pair had played the Olympics there together.

“I like Tokyo, it is an extraordinary city. We played the Olympics here with Sara, but it is the first time we play this tournament together.”