Home favourite Jasmine Paolini has advanced to the final of the Italian Open, following her victory over Peyton Stearns.
Following a close first set in which Stearns took a commanding 4-1 lead, the Italian came back to seal the win 7-5, 6-1.
She is now in her eighth career final, and fourth at WTA 1000 level or above, having made the final at last season’s Dubai Tennis Championships, the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon last summer, where Paolini lost to Barbora Krejcikova.
After yet another comeback at the Italian Open, Paolini explained her slow start against the American.
Speaking to Sky Sports after her win over Stearns, Paolini said: “At the beginning, I was feeling so slow, even the ball was going so slow.”
“You have to hit the ball harder. If not, you’re gonna lose 6-1, 6-2, because she was playing unbelievably.”
The world number five added: “It wasn’t easy because there is the wind from one side and you have to hit the ball hard.”
“But in the end I managed to stay there somehow and I turned the match. I’m really happy about it.”
Jasmine Paolini becomes the first Italian to reach multiple WTA 1000 finals
Since the format’s introduction in 2009, Paolini is the first player from Italy to reach multiple finals at the WTA 1000 level.
She passes Flavia Pannetta, Camila Giorgi, and her current doubles partner Sara Errani, who she won a gold medal with at the Paris Olympics.
Paolini’s first such final came in Dubai last season, where she defeated Anna Kalinskaya to clinch a maiden WTA 1000 title.
The former Wimbledon finalist will look to complete the feat for a second time in front of her home crowd in Rome.
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