New Zealand’s tennis campaign at the Paris Olympics is at an end, after Erin Routliffe and Lulu Sun were knocked out of their first-round doubles match.
Routliffe and Sun, from Te Anau in Southland, faced the crack Italian pairing of Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani on Court Philippe-Chartrier at Roland Garros overnight (NZ time).
Paolini was fresh off reaching the Wimbledon singles final and Errani is a former world No 1 doubles player, so the third-seeded Italians posed quite a problem for the scratch Kiwi team, according to the Team NZ website.
The Italians won 6-2, 6-3 in 71 minutes, making fewer errors and winning most of the important points.
Routliffe, currently ranked No 1 in the world in doubles, played some sharp reflex volleys, but the Kiwis lacked consistency.
“We gave it everything,” she said after the match.
“But they are an established team and know what they’re doing on the crunch points. We were figuring it out as we went along. They are really good in crucial moments and they’re excellent at making their opponents feel uncomfortable out there.
“It didn’t go how we wanted, but you have to acknowledge what a good doubles team they are.”
Sun told Sky Sport it was “amazing” to represent New Zealand at the Games, “even though it’s not exactly the best results here at our first Olympics.
“It’s really an honour to represent New Zealand at the biggest stages of the world – I’m just really, really glad I was able to be here.”
The pair hoped to play more doubles together in the future.
“With Lulu representing New Zealand now it’s definitely an opportunity for us … she plays a lot of singles for us – and very well,” Routliffe told Sky Sport.
Sun made the singles quarterfinals in Wimbledon earlier this month.
But she was knocked out of the singles event at the Olympics, losing to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-4 6-3 in the first round.
– additional reporting ODT Online