Erin Routliffe having fun playing with Coco Gauff at Italian Open

Ahead of her Italian Open final with Coco Gauff, Erin Routliffe feels playing with the American has allowed her to experience what it’s like to play with a very different type of doubles partner.

Routliffe and Gauff will take on the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in Sunday’s final in Rome, if successful it would give Routliffe her first title at a WTA 1000 level tournament.

Routliffe teamed up with Gauff because her usual partner, Gabby Dabrowski is injured, but it’s been a combination that has clicked during this tournament, even though they didn’t go into it with much of a game plan.

“To be honest, we started in the first round just figuring it out as we went and we’re still doing that,” Routliffe said. 

"Obviously, with her being a really high singles player and super powerful, ideally, it’s her at the back and me at the net closing. 

“I think that’s a good position for us. It doesn’t matter what side she’s on, she bodies the ball, so I get a lot of opportunities at the net to put it away.

“But in saying that, a lot of the time when we’re at the net together, that’s also successful.

“Playing with someone that you don’t know super well and never played with before, you try to figure it out as you go, so that’s what we’re doing and we’re having fun with it.”

Gauff is one of the best singles players in the world, but the two-time ASB Classic champion is also one of the best doubles players on the circuit. She has reached two grand slam doubles finals and won three WTA 1000 doubles, all with Jessica Pegula.

Routliffe has been able to appreciate Gauff’s doubles knowledge during this tournament and also that she brings something different to the partnership.

“She and Jessica are obviously an amazing team together, making [grand slam] finals twice. But they definitely play a different style than Gabby and I.

“I think that’s the cool thing about doubles, you can win in different ways and with multiple strategies.

“They play a lot of one-up, one-back on the doubles court and they’re really good at that. 

“That’s not what Gabby and I do, or it’s not our strength. She has a good sense of the doubles court as well, but I hope she’s learning a bit of tricky doubles stuff and I’m definitely learning.

“She’s really aggressive, no matter what the score is, I think I am as well, but I do find myself swinging a bit more free because she has that aura of going for it, which I really like.”

Routliffe says it’s been a good experience for her to play with Gauff in Rome and team up with a few other players before she reunites with Dabrowski for the grass court season.

“With Gabby being injured, that’s a really big bummer, because we’re a great team together and we’re set,” Routliffe said.

“So it’s hard to be on the hunt for partners every week. I was playing with a different partner in Madrid (Ashlyn Krueger) and now Coco and then I’ll play with Leylah (Fernandez) at Strasbourg and the French Open, so that’s three partners in three weeks, which is tough and not something I’m used to anymore.

“But adaptability is something I’m trying to learn and I don’t want to be a good doubles player with one partner, I want to be a good doubles player with everybody.

“I’m trying to learn to be successful with all different types of partners, so I’m excited. 

“I don’t mind clay anymore. I don’t think it’s my best surface, but to be in the finals of a 1000 on clay, I’m definitely excited for it.”

Routliffe and Gauff have enjoyed crowd support in Rome, but Routliffe knows that won’t be the case in the final when they go up against a couple of Italians.

“Italy is one of the hardest places to play when you’re in front of a home crowd,” she said.

“The Italian crowd is in everyone’s faces, but I like that, I don’t really mind. Nothing can be worse than the US Open against Americans, so I’ll be ready for it!

“But it will be fun, it will be really exciting and there will be a lot of people watching, which is what you want, you want doubles to be watched more. 

“Having the Italians and Coco, who’s a big star, we’ll have a big crowd, which is what you play for, so it will be awesome.”