Paolini is eternal!

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🎾 Jasmine Paolini vs Ons Jabeur

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Forty years later, the WTA 1000 in Rome sees a local champion once again. Only Raffaella Reggi had achieved this feat so far, back when she became a pioneer in 1985. Today, the torch has been passed – better late than never – to Jasmine Paolini, who was able to reach the final and sweep aside a Coco Gauff (6-4, 6-2) heading to Roland Garros with more setbacks than desired. Glorious performance from the Italian player, claiming her second WTA 1000 crown and securing a place at a table where very few compatriots can sit. A victory that positions her as a legend in her country, as well as propelling her back into the top 4 of the world rankings.

The lineup perhaps suggested that Gauff could have had some favoritism, considering her track record and, above all, thinking about that intangible factor called pressure that Jasmine would have to deal with today. It can't be easy to be on the brink of becoming the second local player in history to conquer a temple like the Foro Itálico, one of those calendar stops that have been with us since the dawn of tennis. And even if she didn't feel the pressure or managed it well, isn't Coco almost always a strong candidate to win most matches on clay? Well, a bunch of predictions that were about to be challenged from the start.

With the mastery of a top 10 player and the maturity of a top 5 player, Jasmine Paolini stepped onto the Campo Centrale in Rome with only one mission: to be crowned the champion. Watching her play, always backed by solid statistics where consistency tends to be the main pillar, it was impossible to imagine any other outcome than her leaving triumphantly. We don't know when Gauff started to falter, but the American was unable to put together a couple of dominating games to take control and show why she had defeated players like Raducanu, Andreeva, or Qinwen Zheng in earlier rounds. Did that tally for anything against a completely inspired rival?

The turning point came in the second set, right after the Italian secured the 6-4 on the scoreboard and sent her opponent to reflect in the locker room. A typical moment for a reset, to think that it's just a rough start, that your experience in these types of encounters will help you find the way to turn the situation around. However, the path that awaited her return to the court continued to be one of torment. With a focused Jasmine and a frustrated, rushed, and mentally fried Gauff, it was evident with a 3-0 lead that we all looked at each other in the room and landed on the same thought: Paolini as the champion?

NO SURPRISE

It would have been surprising if you were still in the first paragraph, but at this point in the text, you can't say that the outcome was anything but crystal clear. There was no reaction from Gauff, in fact, she could barely add two more games. Defeated in the Madrid final and, fifteen days later, the same outcome in Rome. Let's not be harsh on her, as in both cases, she faced opponents in exceptional form. Paolini was fighting for history and didn't fail, giving Italian women's tennis its first title in 40 years at the Foro Itálico, an achievement that will be remembered for a lifetime. Just like Rome, the eternal city, Jasmine is now a player whose presence is certainly secured in the annals of tennis.

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