In a thrilling display of resilience and determination, home favorite Jasmine Paolini staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Diana Shnaider and secure her place in the Italian Open semi-finals.
The sixth seed battled back from a set down and a 4-0 deficit in the second set to eventually claim a 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-2 victory, becoming the first Italian woman to reach the final four in Rome since Sara Errani’s 2014 run.
Shnaider started strongly, edging a tightly contested opening set in a dominant tie-break.
The 20-year-old Russian then raced to a 3-0 lead in the second before a brief rain delay paused play.
When the match resumed, Shnaider held serve to stretch her advantage to 4-0. However, the rain break proved to be a pivotal moment.
With the crowd firmly behind her and inspired by words of encouragement from her doubles partner Errani, watching from the stands, Paolini mounted a stirring fightback.
She won six consecutive games to snatch the second set and swing momentum firmly in her favor.
“It was a good thing that it rained for five minutes. I got some coaching from Sara,” Paolini revealed after the match, crediting Errani’s pep talk for helping turn the tide.
The 29-year-old Italian rode the wave of support from the passionate Roman crowd in the deciding set, breezing through it with confident, aggressive play to complete the comeback.
Paolini will now face either former champion Elina Svitolina or American rising star Peyton Stearns in the semi-finals.
With her performance, she moves one step closer to becoming the first Italian woman to win the tournament since Raffaella Reggi lifted the trophy in 1985.
For a player long seen as a gritty competitor on the rise, Paolini’s run in Rome signals not just a personal breakthrough, but a revival of Italian hopes on home soil.
