Jasmine Paolini becomes first Italian woman in 11 years to reach Rome final
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrating after winning her Italian Open semi-final match against Peyton Stearns of the United States 7-5, 6-1 on May 15 at Foro Italico in Rome.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
ROME – Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman in more than a decade to reach the final of her home Italian Open when she beat American Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1 on May 15.
The 29-year-old is the first Italian to advance to the final in Rome since her doubles partner Sara Errani lost to Serena Williams in 2014.
Paolini had found herself a set and 4-0 down to Diana Shnaider in the quarter-finals before storming to victory and once again, the world No. 5 had a slow start in the opening set before mounting a comeback.
“I am very happy, I don’t know what to say! It’s a dream to be here, it’s a dream to play in Italy, it’s a dream to be able to play the final,” she said.
Any hopes of a quick start for Paolini were put to rest, when Stearns jumped into a 3-0 lead amid muted applause from the home crowd as the Italian soon found herself 4-1 down.
The American looked comfortable and poised to take the opening set before Paolini clawed her way back as she saved set points to level it at 5-5, pumping her fist with a triumphant scream that got the crowd roaring again.
The comeback was complete when Paolini, having won four games in a row, took the opening set after more than an hour of play.
The momentum was firmly with Paolini as she broke Stearns for a fifth time to go 4-1 up in the second set and the deflated American had no answer as the Italian’s winners whizzed past her.
Stearns fired a forehand wide on match point as the crowd erupted and Paolini raised her arms in celebration. “You (the crowd) gave me a boost because today it was a bit of an uphill start and I struggled at the beginning, thank goodness you were there,” she added.
“We won this match together. Point after point I managed to fight, to turn it around, even if at the beginning I did not have a good feeling. But I am happy with the way I managed to turn this match around.”
Paolini will face either Zheng Qinwen or Coco Gauff in the final. Their semi-final started after press time.
Madrid Open winner and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was sent packing in the quarter-finals by Chinese eighth seed Zheng 6-4, 6-3 on May 14.
“It’s been a long time... I haven’t arrived in semi-finals,” Zheng told Sky Sports after securing her first last-four appearance of the season.
“It was not easy for me, because at the beginning of the year, I got some struggles with my arm. So right now, I’m just perfectly in shape and trying to play better tennis all the time.”
Gauff secured her last-four place, as well as second spot in the world rankings, after the American fourth seed earlier beat Russia’s Mirra Andreeva 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
In the men’s draw, Carlos Alcaraz set up a semi-final meeting with Lorenzo Musetti on May 16 with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Briton Jack Draper in the last eight on May 14.
Also on May 14, defending champion Alexander Zverev of Germany lost his Rome crown in addition to his world No. 2 ranking, going down to home hope Musetti 7-6 (7-1), 6-4.
American Tommy Paul defeated Hubert Hurkacz of Poland 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 on May 15 to book his place in the other semi-final.
He will face either Italian world No. 1 Jannik Sinner or sixth seed Casper Ruud of Norway – their quarter-final finished after press time. REUTERS, AFP
