Jasmine Paolini came back from one set down to beat Naomi Osaka 3-6 6-4 6-4 after 2 hours and 15 minutes ending a losing streak of 0-3 in her WTA Tour Round of 16 matches this year.
Paolini earned her first win against a former Grand Slam champion in her past five attempts.
Paolini saved 12 of the 15 break points she faced and converted three of her five break points. Osaka fired seven aces and hit 29 winners to 41 unforced errors.
Paolini saved five break points in the first game of the opening set. Osaka fended off a break point in the second game. The Japanese player converted her second break point in the fifth game after a backhand errors from Paolini. The Italian player broke straight back with a lob. Osaka broke twice in the seventh and ninth games to win the first set 6-3.
Paolini converted her second break point in the first game of the second set. The 2024 Roland Garros and Wimbledon finalist saved two break-back points in the fourth game with a drop-shot and a forehand. The world number7 held on her next service games to win the second set 6-4.
Paolini saved a break point in the second game of the third set after Osaka made a backhand error. Paolini earned the decisive break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead before saving two break-back points in the sixth game. Paolini held her serve a love in the eighth game and sealed the win on her first match point to reach her first quarter final this season.
“Finally. I’m really happy about it and it gives me confidence as well. It was a good-quality match. I think her level today was really high.”, said Paolini.
Paolini set up a quarter final match against Magda Linette, who beat Coco Gauff 6-4 6-4 to achieve her first top 10 win since she beat Paolini in Beijing last year.
Linette converted her second break point in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. The Polish player held on her next service games and served out on her second set point in the 10thgame. Gauff opened up a 2-0 lead with a break in the second game of the second set. Linette won three consecutive games with two breaks to take a 3-2 lead. Gauff broke straight back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3.
Linette earned her third break in the ninth game to win the second set 6-4.
Linette broke serve four games and was broken twice to reach her second career WTA 1000 final.
Linette leads 2-1 in her head-to-head matches against Paolini. The Italian player beat Linette in the Round of 32 at the Olympic Games in Paris. Linette avenged this defeat by beating Paolini in Beijing.
“In Beijing, I wasn’t playing that good, She’s a very consistent player. Forehand, backhand, serve, she is complete. I have to be aggressive, make less mistakes and move as good as I did today”,said Paolini.
