Jasmine Paolini dominates Emma Navarro, secures spot in Wimbledon semifinals

Jasmine Paolini (No. 7) cruised past Emma Navarro (No. 17) with a commanding 6-1, 6-1 victory, advancing to the Wimbledon semifinals. The 28-year-old player became the first Italian female tennis player to reach the semifinals at the All England Club, taking less than an hour to secure the win.

At 28, she secured her new career-best ranking as world No. 5, definitively displacing Pegula from that position. Paolini will now be favourite against Croatian Vekic (No. 37) and could play her second Grand Slam final, just a month after emerging as runner-up at the French Open.

Initially, the Italian showed some nerves, quickly losing her serve in the third game, giving Navarro the early advantage. However, those were the only moments that seemed competitive, as Paolini quickly found her rhythm and proved to be far superior to her opponent.

After securing the break, the American could not maintain her level for the rest of the set. She lost her next three service games consecutively and barely won a couple of points from the return. Additionally, Paolini was much more aggressive than her rival with 11 winners (compared to Navarro's 5) and her constant net approaches.

Paolini had a 73% first serve percentage, winning 63% of those points, while Navarro achieved a 68% first serve percentage, winning 54% of those points. However, the American couldn't win any of the points played on her second serve, which was crucial for the Italian's aspirations, who eventually closed the set 6-2.

Standing at 1.63 meters (5' 4"), Paolini is one of the shortest players in the top 100, but she has managed to deliver good serves throughout the tournament. Her speed and agility on the court have been among her main weapons at the All England Club. The Italian maintained her high level in the second set, while Navarro appeared imprecise and nervous, given the stage of the tournament.

Although the American managed to win a service game after three consecutive breaks, it was the only thing she could do in a second set where she couldn't compete against the world No. 7. Paolini saved a few break points against her throughout the set but never let Navarro back into the match.

Paolini comfortably took 58 minutes to secure the 6-1, 6-1 victory, while Navarro had a disappointing exit, considering the level she had displayed in previous rounds. In the semifinals, Paolini will face Croatian Donna Vekic, being one step away from playing her second consecutive Grand Slam final.