Rakhimova knocks Paolini out in Wimbledon second round
The ever-smiling Paolini's sunshine tennis lit up the All England Club during her run to the title clash last year but the 29-year-old cut a grim figure in the final set of her clash with Rakhimova on a shadowy Court Three.
Paolini, who was similarly dragged the distance in her opening victory over Anastasija Sevastova, was unable to muster the fight needed to quell the challenge of the unseeded Rakhimova and let her opponent build a 4-2 lead in the decider.
Rakhimova, enjoying her best run at the grasscourt Grand Slam, edged closer to victory when Paolini sent a shot long at the baseline in the final game and the 23-year-old wrapped up her first top-10 win on her fourth match point.
Paolini's exit means only one of the top five women's seeds - world number one Aryna Sabalenka - will be in the third round. It is only the second time that this has happened in the professional era after Wimbledon 2018.
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