In Riyadh, the Italian pair lost to the formidable duo of Taiwan’s Hsieh and Latvia’s Ostapenko, who won 6-3, 6-4.

No luck for Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in their second match of the WTA Finals doubles group stage. The Italian pair suffered their first defeat in Riyadh against the formidable duo of Taiwan’s Su-Wei Hsieh and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, who won 6-3, 6-4. The match was dominated by Hsieh and Ostapenko, players who are as strong as they are unpredictable but very difficult to beat when they are on form. Errani and Paolini did not play their best game, making a few too many mistakes, and the Tuscan, playing for the third day in a row, looked understandably tired.

In terms of qualifying for the semifinals, the Italian pair’s next match against Kudermetova and Mertens, who are still stuck on zero points, as well as Muhammad and Schuurs, who will face each other tonight in their second match of the tournament, will likely be decisive. Hsieh and Ostapenko have two wins, Errani and Paolini have one, so the next match could be a direct clash for the Italians to advance in the tournament.