Jasmine Paolini Shines with Comeback Win Over Coco Gauff

CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES — Jasmine Paolini delivered an impressive comeback on Friday night, defeating Coco Gauff 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open. Despite battling through an ankle injury, Paolini secured her victory, marking her third win against the young American in their last three meetings this year.

The match began with Paolini struggling as Gauff took a strong lead. However, in the decisive third set, Paolini faced a moment of concern when she rolled her ankle while executing a running forehand. After a brief visit from the trainer, she quickly broke Gauff’s serve and seemed to recover from the injury.

Paolini has experienced some tough losses from winning positions this season, including a previous match against Aoi Ito where she lost after leading 6-2, 4-1. In this match, she faced another potential slip when she lost nine consecutive points, falling to 3-4 in the final set. Nevertheless, Paolini regained her composure, winning seven consecutive points and 12 of the last 15 to clinch her spot in the semifinals.

After the match, Paolini reflected on her performance, stating, “It was so tough. At the beginning, I was just running and trying to put the ball inside the court, but after a little bit, I started to feel the ball better. I stayed there every point, I tried to fight every point, and it worked.”

Paolini’s semifinal opponent will be Veronika Kudermetova, a former Top 10 player who has knocked out several opponents this week, including the No. 2 ranked player Iga Swiatek. Although Paolini has lost her last three matches against Kudermetova, their last encounter was back in 2021 at this tournament.

“She’s a great player with a big serve and big weapons,” Paolini said about Kudermetova. “It’s always tough to play against her, but I’m confident right now and I’m ready to give it a fight in the semifinals.” Paolini is looking to secure her place in the finals of a WTA 1000 event, aiming to add to her impressive trophy cabinet.