Reaching the French Open semifinals, Jasmine Paolini overcomes Elena Rybakina.

Italian unexpected gift set Fourth seed Elena Rybakina mounted a comeback, but Jasmine Paolini held strong to win 6-2 4-6 6-4 on Wednesday and make her first-ever trip to the French Open semi-finals.

NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, Jasmine Paolini, the surprising Italian phenomenon, defeated fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, capping a thrilling comeback to earn her first-ever French Open semi-final place.

The winner of the quarterfinal match between Russian teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva and Belarusian world number two Aryna Sabalenka and Paolini, ranked 12th, is expected to play later on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The 28-year-old Italian, playing in her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal, took the first two games with elegance. She kept up the pressure on Rybakina, making it tough for her to hold service, and she won another break to take the first set.

In the third game of the next set, Paolini secured another break with an incredible backhand winner. The current Wimbledon winner, Rybakina, retaliated with a break of her own, though. The Italian’s incredible strength and accuracy took some time for the Kazakh player to get used to.

Rybakina held her footing as the two women traded breaks, levelling the match at one set apiece. The 24-year-old lost her serve early in the decisive set, but she stayed calm and made a run at it.

Paolini continued to play well, holding serve against love to tie the game at four. Playing at the level she displayed early in the match, Paolini took advantage of Rybakina’s mistakes to seal a historic triumph by holding on to love.

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