Coco Gauff apologies to Italian Open ace after forgetting how to play

Coco Gauff admitted she "forgets" how to play doubles at times

Coco Gauff has apologised profusely to her doubles partner, Alexandra Eala, for her performance at the Italian Open, admitting that she "forgets" how to play alongside another athlete at times. The American tennis star has continued a strong run of form since her runner-up finish at the Madrid Open, making the semi-finals of the singles tournament and also appearing in the quarter-finals of the women's doubles alongside Eala. On Wednesday, Gauff delivered an exciting performance against Mirra Andreeva as she claimed a tense 6-4, 7-6 (5) finish to book her spot in the semi-finals to face world No. 5 Qinwen Zheng on Thursday. However, not long after finishing her exciting singles match, Gauff headed back out onto the blazing hot courts with Eala to take on home tournament favourites Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini. The 21-year-old told reporters that her younger tennis partner took home the 'MVP' award for the match in her eyes, adding that she needed to say sorry as she was "forgetting" how to play doubles. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

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In an appearance on the Tennis Channel following her round of 16 doubles match, Gauff said: "In our match yesterday, she definitely got MVP for that. I was just kind of there. So, I told her sometimes I forget how to play because sometimes it's been a while. It's just one of those things. "You know how they say, you don't forget how to ride a bike, doubles you definitely forget how to play. I told her I'm like a deer on ice at the net, that's what I feel like. "Many times I've apologized to her, but she's quick, she's fast, so she's there to cover me." Gauff also hailed Eala's "aggressive" style of play and her impressive doubles talent, which is clearly evident from her performances in the singles tournament.

Gauff was impressed by Eala's 'aggressive' talent

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