French Open 2024 results: Jasmine Paolini stuns Elena Rybakina to reach semi-final

Jasmine Paolini amazed Elena Rybakina in a game that saw both players fighting for the win. Paolini's triumph led her to her first semi-final appearance at a Grand Slam tournament, specifically in the French Open.

Paolini, who was seeded 12th in the tournament, took home a victory over her opponent from Kazakhstan, who was seeded fourth. The match was played in challenging conditions due to strong winds on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but Paolini prevailed with a final score of 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Paolini expressed that it was an indescribable sensation to have secured the victory at Roland Garros, which took her a total of two hours and three minutes.

Next up, she is set to compete against Mirra Andreeva of Russia, who recently achieved her greatest victory by defeating the second-seeded Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.

Paolini participated in her inaugural Grand Slam quarter-final after having a remarkable season, in which the 28-year-old achieved a position within the top 15 for the first time and secured her first WTA 1,000 title at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.

However, the opponent that the 24-year-old and former winner of Wimbledon, Rybakina, was going against, was ranked as the fourth best player in the world. Additionally, Rybakina and her partner Sabalenka were expected to give a tough competition to the two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek for the championship title in Paris.

Paolini made a strong start, exhibiting confidence by swiftly taking Rybakina's serve in the first game without any signs of anxiety.

Rybakina was having a hard time maintaining a steady performance, so Paolini capitalized on this weakness by winning the first three games with ease. Her cross-court forehand winner was particularly impressive in its force and precision.

The set was not completed by Paolini as she lost again, giving Rybakina only one point on her serve. The score was 6-2 in favor of Paolini.

After losing a set in Paris for the first time this year, Rybakina had to bounce back. Even though she made some mistakes that were not forced, she began to hit her shots more consistently.

During the match, both players had multiple breaks. However, at a crucial moment when the score was tied 5-4, Paolini hit a backhand shot that went beyond the boundaries, resulting in a set point for Rybakina. She managed to convert the set point with skillful play at the net.

In the final set, the wind hindered both players and they had difficulty maintaining a consistent performance due to their unforced errors and breaks in serving.

During the tennis game, the score was tied at 4-4 when Rybakina made a mistake by hitting the ball too hard and it went into the net. This caused confusion among her coaches and gave her opponent, Paolini, a lead of 30-15. Paolini made use of this opportunity and earned the chance to serve for the win.

In the recent match, Rybakina made a mistake by hitting a long backhand which led to Paolini's triumph. This was a significant victory for Paolini as it marked the biggest win she has achieved thus far. Rybakina had a total of 48 unforced errors in the match.

Paolini came into the world in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, a municipality located in Tuscany. She entered the WTA circuit in the year 2015, starting her professional tennis career.

In 2024, she had an extremely successful year, achieving her highest level of productivity yet. This resulted in her reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open, which was her first time making it this far in a Grand Slam tournament. She also has two previous singles titles to her name.

During her game against Rybakina, whom she has defeated twice in her professional career spanning nine years, the spectators at Paris loudly supported her due to her persistently determined approach in the game.

Jannik Sinner has also made it to the final four, which means that Italian tennis players have made it to the semi-finals of both the men's and women's singles in a major event for the first time in the Open era.

Paolini commented that the match was quite difficult. In the second set, they were feeling a bit overly emotional.

As I pondered to myself, "alright, this is promising. [Rybakina] is an exceptional champion, so it's always possible." I endeavored to strike every ball, and it paid off, as I am now here.

I made a conscious effort to stay focused during each point and put the second set out of my mind. Despite falling behind, I was able to rally and continue to push forward. I am grateful for the support I received and appreciate everyone who cheered me on.