5 days ago
Jasmine Paolini, Wimbledon finalist in 2024, goes out in second round
THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB, LONDON — A year after Jasmine Paolini's stunning run to the 2024 Wimbledon final, she joined the exodus of top women's seeds from this year's tournament.
With shadows slanting across No. 3 Court, Kamilla Rakhimova came from a set down against the No. 4 seed to seal one of the biggest upsets of a tournament which so far has been defined by them. The world No. 80, who started the second-round match with nothing to lose, grew into her tennis as the stakes got higher and the prospect of claiming the biggest win of her career drew closer.
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A crosscourt forehand sent a puff of white flying up on the opening point of the final game as it clipped the sideline, with Paolini sinking to her haunches in disbelief as she had found herself doing since the early part of the match. Rakhimova blasted through two more points, but a fluffed drop shot and a missed forehand saw two match points disappear. Another miss and it was deuce.
Her control was all the more impressive given the nature of the match. Rakhimova had broken back late in the first set with Paolini serving for it at 5-3, only to be broken herself in the very next game. After taking a tight second set, the Russian broke in the very first game of the third — arguably too early against a player of Paolini's quality and tenacity. She had nine games to think about what she was doing as they exchanged holds, nine games for the pressure to take hold or for her to realize the achievement in her hands.
From that deuce in the final game, Rakhimova did not let up. She sent another inside-in forehand crashing past Paolini's defenses, before slamming a serve out wide and on to the sideline. Paolini's return floated into the air and hung there for what seemed like an age. Rakhimova let it bounce, before crushing the ball crosscourt and dropping her racket in delight at the end of a 4-6, 6-4. 6-4 win.
Paolini's exit means that four of the top five seeds have gone out in the first three days; only world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has survived. Coco Gauff, the No. 2, and Jessica Pegula, the No. 3, lost in straight sets to Dayana Yastremska of Spain and Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy respectively, while Zheng Qinwen lost to Kateřina Siniaková.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Tennis, Women's Tennis
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