[7] J. Paolini b. S. Sorribes Tormo 7-5 6-3
At 28, Jasmine Paolini shows up at Wimbledon with one completely new status. Last year here in London he was not among the top seeds (number 44 in the ranking) and was just behind Cocciaretto in the virtual competition for the Italian record. At these Championships, however, she is seeded number 7, unquestionably number 1 in Italy and a recent Roland Garros finalist.
All these results demonstrate how much Paolini has grown in performance, but along with the performance, expectations have grown. At her fourth participation in the Wimbledon main draw, Jasmine is still looking for her first victory. In 2021 she lost in the first round to Andrea Petkovic, while in 2022 and 2023 she had always debuted against Petra Kvitova. Not the best draw for the English lawns, even if in both matches Jasmine had at least won a set.
The 2024 opponent is Sara Sorribes Tormo, certainly not a grass court specialist, but still a player who when in form defends strenuously and rarely gives away points. I remember a very tough match of Sorribes Tormo at Wimbledon in 2021 against Angelique Kerber, which lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes and ended 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 for Kerber.
First set: Paolini starts uphill but prevails at distance
Paolini understandably starts a little tense: she gives away the first point with a double fault, then when the game really starts a couple of poorly managed slices by Sorribes cost her the break right away. But Jasmine recovers the starting handicap in the fourth game, when the environmental situation changes: a capricious side windwith sudden gusts that require rapid adjustments on the trajectories. Paolini adapts with great effectiveness, commands the game and closes the gap: first 2-2 and then 3-2.
From this moment the wind will return to resurface throughout the inter match, not strong, but still treacherous because it is inconsistent. Paolini begins to manage Sorribes’ changes of pace with more confidence (slices alternating with topspin), but above all she is good at measure aggression: when the opponent’s trajectory allows it, he pushes and tries to close the point, but if the ball is treacherous, he agrees to play interlocutory, maneuvering solutions.
A second break allows her to go up 5-3 and serve. Jasmine now seems in control, but Sara then tries to work more on the vertical: a few runs to the net, a dropshot response, allow her to get the controbreak and lengthen the set.
At 5-5 a tape saves Paolini from a new break, but it would be ungenerous not to underline that he often prevails thanks to notable accelerations. And since Sorribes has also moved up a level, the entire match is now of higher quality. But from the equilibrium it is Paolini who emerges: break del 7-5 thanks to a final exchange concluded at the net, after a long study phase where Sorribes tested the stability of Jasmine’s backhand. Fifty-five minutes of play.
Second set in tears
Sorribes has no intention of giving up: at the start of the second set, with Paolini serving, she goes into “wall” mode and wins three consecutive break points. But Jasmine shows how a Top 10 reacts: she doesn’t make any more mistakes and manages to come back, keeping her serve. And on the momentum she gets the break to make it 2-0.
It is a match phase in which Paolini comes close to perfection: with a partial of twelve points to three he doubles the break and sale 4-0These are games in which Paolini simply shoots harder, makes very few mistakes from the baseline and is impeccable at the net.
It would be done against many players, but Sara is a “tough”: she continues to hold on, waiting for Paolini to drop a bit in level. That’s how she recovers a first break: 4-1.
Just before the finish line, Jasmine started to make too many mistakes, and with an opponent like that you pay the consequences. In a few minutes, the second break of advantage also fades away: 4-3 and Sorribes serve. Almost everything needs to be redone; quasi, because Jasmine immediately gets back on track. With another favorable partial (this time eight points to one) she wins a new break and holds the final game scoreless: 6-3 Paolini in 42 minutes of play (97 overall).
On the fourth attempt Paolini thus conquered the prima vittoria a WImbledon. After all, for a Top 10 player like her, the zero in the successes at the Championships was starting to be out of place. Now we have to see her put to the test against opponents who offer a different type of tennis. In fact, Grete Minnen, Sorribes’ more aggressive player, but also more foul-playing, awaits her in the next round.
