Jasmine PAOLINI relives Dubai triumph, secures back-to-back wins against Anna KALINSKAYA in Indian Wells

Jasmine Paolini clinched a hard-fought victory against Anna Kalinskaya, prevailing 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. The Italian advanced to the fourth round of Indian Wells, marking a repetition of the Dubai Open final just a week ago. In a highly anticipated match between the two, Paolini maintained composure during challenging moments, securing the win and reaching the fourth round at Tennis Paradise for the first time.

This was the third encounter between the two players this season. The first took place in the fourth round of the Australian Open, where the Russian comfortably won 6-4, 6-2. However, the most significant showdown was the final of the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships just two weeks ago, where the Italian claimed the title by coming from behind in the last two sets (4-6, 7-5, 7-5).

In the first set, Paolini faced several break opportunities in her first service game, conceding an early 2-0 advantage to her opponent. Nevertheless, she swiftly recovered the break in her first opportunity and maintained parity in the initial part of the set. The Italian saved another break point in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead and then secured the decisive break, winning the set 6-3.

The second set saw Kalinskaya facing more significant challenges in holding her serve. In the early games, she had to fend off several break points to stay in the match. The Russian won 68% of service points compared to Paolini's 62%, with the latter providing only one break opportunity. However, it proved sufficient for her opponent to take the lead and ultimately level the match with a 6-3 set victory.

A similar pattern unfolded in the third set, with Paolini taking an initial break that Kalinskaya promptly returned. The Russian displayed occasional frustration and committed several unforced errors, while Paolini maintained a fighting spirit to pursue victory.

In Kalinskaya's final service game, she saved two match points against her, but the Italian ultimately secured another triumph over the Russian, closing the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. In the fourth round, Paolini will face the winner of the match between Nadia Podoroska (Lucky Loser) and the 28th seed Anastasia Potapova.