Photo Source: TC
First came the thunder, then the rain and, finally, the jazz.
In Rome, rabid fans packed into Campo Centrale to throw their voice behind Italian firestarter Jasmine Paolini on Tuesday, and their efforts were rewarded as the 5’4” powerhouse delivered a comeback for the ages.
Fifth-ranked Paolini blew a 4-0 lead in set one against Diana Shnaider but, as the fervent support hit full throat behind her, rallied back from a 4-0 deficit in the second set to secure an emotional 6-7(1) 6-4 6-2 victory and a spot in the semifinals.
Paolini, last year’s Roland-Garros and Wimbledon runner-up, is the first Italian woman to reach the semifinals at the Foro Italico since Sara Errani played the final in 2024.
“It was a roller coaster,” Paolini said. “It was tough. I fought until the end. The crowd, of course, helped me. So I'm really happy with the win – it was a really emotional one.”
Paolini flipped the script on Shnaider from 4-0 down in set two, and the 13th-ranked Russian melted down in the cauldron of chaos that the fans and Paolini created for her. She sprayed errors, made frantic gestures to the crowd and just when she looked to have righted the ship in the third set as she took a 2-0 lead, she lost the plot again. Paolini, happy to ride the momentum to the finish, rumbled through the final six games – she will face Elina Svitolina or Peyton Stearns in the semis.
There were 15 breaks of serve in the two hour and 28-minute contest, with Paolini converting nine of 19, including three of eight in Shnaider’s final three service games.
The Italian is the fifth Italian woman to reach the semifinals in Rome, and at 29, she is the oldest of those women.