Jasmine Paolini Advances in Ningbo, Nears WTA Finals Qualification

Ningbo, China — Jasmine Paolini is one step closer to qualifying for the WTA Finals in Riyadh. The No. 2 seed defeated fellow player Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 7-5 in the second round of the AUX Ningbo tournament.

To secure her spot in the Finals, Paolini needs to reach the final in Ningbo. If the No. 3 seed, Elena Rybakina, loses before the semifinals, Paolini could qualify by making it to the last four. In the quarterfinals, she will face No. 6 seed Belinda Bencic, who has a 2-1 advantage in their head-to-head matches.

Despite the high stakes, Paolini is concentrating on her game. “I’m trying to focus on the court, on the next one,” she said in her post-match interview. “It’s something on my mind, of course, but I try to stay focused on tennis and what I have to do.”

In her match against Kudermetova, Paolini showcased consistent aggression, landing 75% of her first serves and hitting 14 winners, although she also had 17 unforced errors. Kudermetova, on the other hand, struggled with a first-serve percentage of 55%, alongside 38 unforced errors despite tallying 22 winners.

Kudermetova broke Paolini first in each set but quickly lost her lead. In a crucial moment of the second set, she committed a double fault while facing a match point, sealing the victory for Paolini, who improved her overall record against Kudermetova to 4-2.

“I managed to stay there every point, stay focused and try to find solutions,” Paolini noted after her hard-fought win.

Other notable matches in the WTA 500 event included McCartney Kessler, who upset Liudmila Samsonova 7-6 (5), 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals, and Elena Rybakina outlasting Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3.