Routliffe comes up just short in Parma

Erin Routliffe and her American partner Quinn Gleason have fallen just short of winning their first round doubles match at the WTA tournament in Parma in Italy. But it was a superb effort from Routliffe just to make it onto court after an arduous travel schedule following her win in the doubles final at the ITF tournament in Bonita Springs. Routliffe only made it to Parma on the eve of the match.

Routliffe and Gleason have lost 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 to Elixane Lechemia and Ingrid Neel in 1 hour 24. Routliffe and Gleason will now try and get into a WTA tournament next week in Strasbourg in France but will have to rely on player withdrawals as they are on the alternates list.

 Routliffe and Gleason will now head to Strasbourg, in north-east France, for another WTA250 tournament next week. This time, however, they are a lot further down the alternates list, and there’s no guarantee that they will get into the field.

Meanwhile Michael Venus and his Aussie partner John Peers will play their first round match at the ATP 250 tournament in Geneva tonight. Venus and Peers are the second seeds and meet El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo and Dutchman Matwe Middelkoop in the first round.