Singles stars Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider are combining beautifully on the doubles court, advancing to the third round of the women’s doubles event at Australian Open 2025.
MORE: All the scores from Day 8 at AO 2025
They progressed thanks to a taut 7-5 7-5 triumph over Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani, avenging their defeat in the Olympic doubles final which the Italians won 10-7 in a match tiebreak.
MORE: AO 2025 women's doubles draw
“Honestly I had some flashbacks, when we led 4-2, and then after it was 4-5,” said Andreeva, who earlier in the day lost her fourth-round singles match to Aryna Sabalenka, after Shnaider exited in the third round of the singles to Donna Vekic.
“We both got very nervous, but then we decided just to go for it, to be aggressive, to keep playing our game, and in the end it worked.
“I think now we’re going be super focused on doubles, because that’s the only thing we have left (laughter). So we’re just going go for it and we’re just going try to beat everyone.”
This Paris 2024 gold medal rematch took place at John Cain Arena, and the win saw Andreeva and Shnaider – both top-15 singles players – boost their increasingly formidable record as a partnership.
Remarkably, the Olympics was their first event playing together, and Australian Open 2025 marks just their fourth.
But the silver medallists are already a flawless 6-0 together in 2025, after winning the Brisbane International then making their way to the last 16 at Melbourne Park.
There they will face Aussie wildcards Kimberly Birrell and Olivia Gadecki for a place in the quarterfinals.
Already into the quarters are the exciting new pairing of Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko, the third seeds who beat Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Timea Babos in straight sets.
That win sets up a last-eight showdown with Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
No.1 seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, the reigning Wimbledon champions, will attempt to join them in the quarterfinals when they play Leylah Fernandez and Nadiia Kichenok first up at Kia Arena on Monday.
In the men’s doubles event, Andreeva and Shnaider’s fellow Paris 2024 silver medallists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram are targeting a place in the quarters.
MORE: AO 2025 men's doubles draw
They take on Wimbledon champions Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, the sixth seeds, in the third match of the 1573 Arena schedule on Monday.
Already through to the last eight are top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic, and AO 2024 finalists Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, who will next battle all-Portuguese duo Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral.
Day 8 concluded in emotional fashion at Rod Laver Arena when Luke Saville and Li Tu bowed out of the men’s doubles event.
South Australians Saville and Tu, childhood friends, fell 6-3 6-4 in the third round to Andre Goransson and Sem Verbeek.
The night match, at Rod Laver Arena, marked the last of Saville’s 13-year pro career.
It was the same court on which the former world No.1 junior contested the AO 2020 men’s doubles final with Max Purcell, his best Grand Slam result.