Italian tennis star Jasmine Paolini powered into the final of the Italian Open in Rome, defeating American up-and-comer Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1 in the semifinals.
Paolini’s victory makes her the first Italian woman to reach the singles final at Rome’s premier tournament since 2014, ending an 11-year wait for the host nation.
Backed by a vocal home crowd, the world No. 5 (and 2019 French Open junior champion) showed resilience by rallying from 3-5 down in the opening set – saving multiple set points – before dominating the second set to seal the win.
“The crowd was unbelievable and helped me a lot,” Paolini said of the atmosphere in Foro Italico.
She now aims to become Italy’s first women’s champion in Rome in 40 years, awaiting a final showdown against the winner of Coco Gauff vs. Zheng Qinwen.
