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.
Paolini outclasses Navarro
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.
Paolini holds a 14-2 record in Grand Slams in 2024.
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.