Paolini: "This is a very tough defeat, I hope to overcome it"

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Jasmine Paolini will not be able to defend her title at the WTA 1000 in Rome after being defeated in the third round by Elise Mertens. It was a cruel loss due to the narrow margins, which the Italian later analyzed in a press conference.

Although the feeling was that she was improving on the court every day, the reality is that this WTA 1000 in Rome came too soon for Jasmine Paolini. With not many victories this season, feelings far from previous years, and all the pressure of defending the throne in front of her home crowd, the Italian ended up colliding in the third round with Elise Mertens, who took full advantage of the openings that the match offered from the end of the second set. It is difficult at the moment to grasp onto the positives, although Jasmine made an effort in the press conference to smile and be optimistic about what lies ahead. She will drop out of the top 10 after the tournament, but in Paris, she can expect the reward she has been seeking.

Evaluation of the defeat

"It's a tough loss, especially considering the score and how it unfolded. She's a great player, very solid; today, I think she played the crucial points better. Personally, I believe I could have been a bit smarter at certain moments, although it's hard to think about these things now. This is tennis, and these are things that can happen."

Mixed feelings on court

"Today I felt good on the court; I played the match points as best I could. Unfortunately, this is how tennis is; these are things that can happen. It's a tough moment for me, but I hope to overcome this defeat here in Italy. I want to play more matches; my intention was to play more matches this week. It's always nice to compete in front of the crowd; it gives me a lot of energy. Sadly, today it wasn't enough, and I truly feel sorry for the people."

Feeling better on the court every time

"I think that in these last two tournaments, I played a bit better, so I have to try to build on that. In this tournament, I was feeling good, but I need to be more solid in crucial points. For that, I need to play those points more often. In the first round, I had many ups and downs, so I need to seize the opportunity when it presents itself. Sometimes I take risks, and sometimes I don't, but that's high-level competition; if you don't win the match, your opponent will. I must be more consistent in those types of points."

Why does she struggle so much against Mertens?

"She's very solid; I mentioned that earlier, you always have to play a couple of more shots against her. She has a great touch when defending, and her serve is also very powerful. The fact is, you have to play very well to beat her, that's how I felt from the beginning of the match. I'm sad because I think I was also playing well, but in key moments, I lacked consistency; I had too much courage. At the end of the day, these are the things one pays for when competing at these levels."

Assessment of the season so far

"I'm not very happy with my results this year, of course. I have to try to be more positive, so I look forward to the upcoming tournaments. I am gradually improving, feeling better, and more positive on the court, which is important. Today I was very competitive against a tough opponent, so I take that. I mean, I managed to play my game, a very important matter to me. Now we have to adjust some details to win these kinds of matches, but I am improving."

Tennis has its ups and downs

"Two years ago, I lost in the first round here and then made the final at Roland Garros; that's tennis. These are the positive and negative things that often come at once, and you have to deal with them. I know I have to focus on the positives of each tournament, put all my quality on the court, and off the court, keep training to be sharper in crucial moments. I believe we are heading in the right direction; I feel better as the weeks go by, which is important. In tennis, things sometimes go well and sometimes not; the important thing is to stay there and believe in yourself, take risks when the time comes."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Paolini: “Esta es una derrota muy dura, espero superarla”