Paolini Advances to Fourth Round with Victory over Andreescu
Jasmine Paolini impressively defeated Bianca Andreescu to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time.
The French Open finalist and seventh seed won the match played under the roof on Court One with a score of 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.
In the first set, there was little difference between the players, with both aiming to attack at the first opportunity. However, Andreescu couldn’t maintain her level.
Despite never having won a match at Wimbledon until this year, the 28-year-old Italian Paolini has now made it to the second week.
She continues her remarkable rise in her career – she had not progressed beyond the second round of a Grand Slam until 2024.
In the last 16, she will face the 12th-seeded American Madison Keys, who defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3.
Paolini and Canadian Andreescu faced each other in the third round of the French Open five weeks ago, where the Italian emerged victorious in three sets.
Andreescu, who won the US Open at the age of 19 in 2019, was playing in her first tournament after a nine-month hiatus due to a back injury, the latest in a series of serious injuries that have adversely affected her career.
Ranked 176th in the world, Andreescu matched her opponent’s shots in the first set but faltered in the second set, losing the last six games. Paolini sealed her victory with a backhand return.
“I think I played a good match,” said a delighted Paolini. “I tried to be aggressive because otherwise, I would have had to run a lot.”
Elsewhere, 14th seed and Eastbourne champion Daria Kasatkina lost to Paula Badosa 6-7 (6-8), 4-6, 6-4.
Spanish Badosa will face Croatian Donna Vekic next, who defeated Ukraine’s 28th seed Dayana Yastremska 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (3-7), 6-1.
19th seed Emma Navarro defeated Russia’s Diana Shnaider 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 and will face the second-seeded American Coco Gauff, who beat British Sonay Kartal 6-4, 6-0.