Super Jas: Paolini beats Ostapenko in straight sets and advances to Rome International

Rome, 12 May 2025 - An Italian player had not reached the quarter-finals in Rome for eleven years. At the time, there was the signature of Sara You wander, which went all the way to the final, today there is that of Jasmine paolini, who happens to be her friend and doubles partner. The Italian from Bagni di Lucca received a standing ovation from the centre court for having defeated in the round of 16 Jelena Ostapenko for 7-5 6-2, in a difficult match with decisive turns in the first set, when Jas risked ending up 5-2 down, only to then recover and win. In the second set, however, there was no history. The number five in the world is rewriting the history of women's tennis for now and waiting for her is the Russian Shnaider.

The first set of wrestling

The match starts almost two hours behind schedule given the marathon between Osaka and Stearns, and temperatures that are already more summer-like than spring-like. One factor. The tactical purpose of paolini is to mess up the game and the trajectories against a baseline hitter, while Ostapenko she has to put it on a high rhythm, even risking a few shots. The Latvian, in fact, has no half measures and it should be remembered that she has won a Roland Garros in her career and therefore clay is not unknown to her. From the first game you understand the message, with two devastating answers from Ostapenko but also three outs: the Latvian's tennis is not a percentage game. There are immediately two break points with an exceptional forehand of Ostapenko, but paolini she is saved. The power of her shots is the trademark of the Latvian who can play science fiction solutions alternating with unfortunate errors, while Paolini must accept the fact that the rhythm will be slow and constantly work on the trajectories to insert the famous pebble into the mechanism. At 1-1, Paolini goes down 15-30, but is good at recovering by taking advantage of an error of Ostapenko and then chiseling a great inside-in forehand to take the game. In the fourth game Jasmine has a break point triggered by a double fault from Ostapenko, but the backhand return is long and in the end it's two all. In the fifth game the break. paolini goes down 0-30 but comes back to the advantages, here the opponent finds two splendid answers and takes the first advantage of the match on 3-2 and serve. Ostapenko makes the most of her greater power and Paolini does not find the countermeasures. Jas tries by raising the trajectories, but in doing so allows the Latvian to find the right timing and in a short time it is 4-2. Paolini begins to lose all technical references, and the mind follows the trend, so two more errors and two break points arrive for Ostapenko, who badly trashes them and the Italian, with a forehand passing shot, keeps herself in sight at 4-3. It is a decisive moment to have avoided 5-2. The eighth game is very hard fought and Jasmine bites an unwatchable drop shot from Ostapenko and then guesses the winning return for 4-4 and the comeback is then completed in the next game thanks to a backhand out from the Latvian: 5-4 paolini. It gets to 6-5 for Jas, both held serve, and the opponent gives away a hard-fought set with three double faults in a minute. After an hour of play it's 7-5 for Jasmine.

Second solid partial

paolini he attacks the second set well, winning the first game on serve and earning a break point immediately after, but Ostapenko find a way to cancel it with two great shots. It's not over, paolini finds the right rhythm from the back of the court and places a lightning-fast response that snatches the Latvian's serve: 2-0. It's the Italian's escape, who doesn't get distracted by the controversy between the Foro Italico crowd and Ostapenko and in a few minutes it's 3-0. Despite the result, the Latvian's game plan doesn't change and in fact she continues to hit all the shots, regardless of the outcome. We see uncatchable accelerations and incalculable errors, but in the end Ostapenko shortens to 3-1. paolini instead she continues with her solid game, trying to make as few mistakes as possible, especially in a phase in which it is the Latvian who commits unforced errors as if it were raining. The fifth game does not present any particular problems, Ostapenko he fires a backhand without any criteria into the corridor and for the rest it is the service that comes to the rescue paolini: 4-1. The sixth game is also a close one, the Latvian seems in control and goes up 40-0, but a forehand error arrives, then Jasmine plays two shots very well and it goes to deuce. Ostapenko he saves himself with a sensational second serve ace and eventually manages to close the gap to 4-2. paolini must contain the last assaults of her opponent, who goes all out in the seventh game, firing forehands and backhands with all her might, but misses a bloody drop shot at the net. Then, the backhand return goes into the corridor and it's 5-2. The eighth game is spectacular, the two players find high-level points and once again paolini she goes back to the advantages at the end of a full-arm exchange but decided by a drop shot that the Latvian can't manage. It's the decisive moment. Ostapenko gives away the match point by hitting a backhand into the net and, on the next point, to paolini just keep two balls on the court because the Latvian will throw everything away with a forehand well into the corridor. She wins paolini for 7-5 6-2, giving Italy a player in the quarter-finals in Rome eleven years after Sara You wander (who is her doubles partner today). Now the Russian Shnaider who defeated in two sets Mertens. 'Crazy, I have chills. It was a match of endurance, I fought on every point. Thanks to the crowd,' said a beaming Jas.