OfMarco Calabresi
The champions of the Italian Internationals Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini overtake the Romanian Ruse and the Ukrainian Kostyuk, giving themselves a dream final in Paris
Another feat for Paolini and Errani, they are in the final at Roland Garros
So Jasmine Paolini’s weekend will be full of commitments. After the singles final, to be played tomorrow against Iga Swiatek, Jasmine paired with Sara Errani also took the doubles final at the end of a great comeback and a battle lasting over two hours: the champions of the Internazionali BNLd’Italia took on imposed with a score of 1-6 6-4 6-1 on the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk and on the Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse. For Jasmine, the thrill of playing both the singles and doubles finals was experienced 12 years ago by Sara Errani, who she won paired with Roberta Vinci but lost the final alone against Maria Sharapova. For Italy, therefore, the possibility of winning both the men’s doubles title with Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori and the women’s doubles title.
A hypothesis that seemed more than remote after a first set dominated by Kostyuk-Ruse, who put it on physical power, closing 6-1 after just 26 minutes. In the second, however, the ‘real’ match began, with Sara (who is aiming for her sixth Slam title in doubles) and Jasmine who risked collapsing in the fourth game, which alone lasted almost as long as the entire first set. At the tenth break point, Kostyuk-Ruse found the counterbreak at 2-2 after the Italians had broken their opponents’ serve for the first time in the first game: then three more breaks in a row, before the 5-3 at the end of one incredible exchange that opened the doors to the third set for the Italians. Dominated by Errani and Paolini just as the first was dominated by Kostyuk and Ruse, ending 6-1 with a long final embrace which was the best way to meet up on Sunday, the second act of the most beautiful weekend of Jasmine Paolini’s life.
5.10pm – Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini are in the doubles final! A great comeback feat, that of the Italians, who after having won the Internazionali BNL d’Italia can also go after the title at Roland Garros. It ended 1-6 6-4 6-1 in two hours and 1′, at the end of a match that had started very badly for Sara and Jasmine, who were then able to hold their own against two players who were stronger than them from a physical point of view but which fell at a distance.
The third set was uneventful: the third break point in the first game immediately created a gap between the two couples, with Sara and Jasmine dominating Kostyuk-Ruse both at the net and from the baseline. After repeating the break at 4-1, the Italians canceled the ball that could have brought their opponents back into the match, holding serve (5-1) and even closing with a break to zero, and with a wonderful embrace. How wonderful will be the weekend that awaits Jasmine Paolini: on Saturday the singles final against Iga Swiatek, on Sunday the doubles final against the Americans Dolehide/Krawczyk or the pair formed by Coco Gauff (beaten in the final at the Foro Italico by Jasmine and Sara) and Czech Siniakova, on the pitch soon.
5.00pm – Paolini and Errani win, taking the third set (6-1) and flying to the women’s doubles final at Roland Garros. The blue fairy tale continues on the land of Paris.
4.55pm – Double break advantage for Paolini and Errani! The Italians are now ahead 4-1 in the third set and see the final.
4.45pm – The Italians consolidate the break advantage and move ahead 3-1 in this decisive third set. Errani wonderful with a diagonal stop volley.
4.35pm – Immediate break in favor of Errani-Paolini at the beginning of the third set! The battle on the pitch continues, with the first game of the third and decisive set immediately lasting more than 10′. At the third break point at their disposal, the two blues break their opponents’ serve.
4.20pm – Truly a match full of a thousand emotions, with the blue couple who, just when they seemed on the verge of collapsing, managed to give a positive twist to the match.
Super reaction from Errani-Paolini, everything will be decided in the third set
4.15pm – Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini didn’t give up and won the second set in 58 minutes with a score of 6-4. A very tight set, in which the free game that had brought Kostyuk and Ruse to 2-2 (at the tenth break point, for a total of over 20 minutes of play) could have knocked anyone down. And instead Sara and Jasmine, who had broken serve from their opponents for the first time in the opening game (last point played on Errani’s backhand diagonal, before a backhand to the center by Paolini), were good at not giving up. After three more breaks in a row, the Italians held serve at 5-3 at the end of an incredible rally, ending the second set at zero.
4.05pm – Everything is happening on the court: after suffering a counterbreak at the end of a game that lasted over 15′, the Errani-Paolini duo breaks serve again from their opponents and takes a 3-2 lead in the second set. As? In exactly the opposite way, that is, without giving a point to the Kostyuk-Rause duo. But winning responses continue to pour in in this semi-final, with the Italians unable to extend their lead but, on the contrary, making it 3-3.
4:00 pm – Infinite game in the fourth game of the second set, with the Italians leading 2-1 they suffer a counterbreak from the Kostyuk/Ruse couple. The Italian duo saved 8 break points before giving in at the end of a game that lasted over 15 minutes.
3.40pm – Reaction from the Italians, with the Errani-Paolini pair immediately obtaining the break at the start of the second set, consolidating it in the following round of service. They lead 2-0.
Nothing to do in the first set, Errani-Paolini overwhelmed 6-1
3.25pm – AND the first set of the semi-final of the women’s doubles lasted just 26 minutes: Ukraine won 6-1 Marta Kostyuk and Romanian Elena-Gabriela Rusewho used their greater physicality against Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani. The set was channeled into Kostyuk-Ruse’s tracks already with a first break in the third game, which was followed by another (4-1), the result of a long volley by Errani who had tried to get on the trajectory. And even in the seventh game, the one that closed the set, the two blues (who didn’t even have a break point) lost serve.
3pm. The semi-final of the women’s doubles begins, with the Italian pair Errani/Paolini who want to continue to amaze after the victory in Rome and the progress recorded so far in Paris.
Men’s doubles, here are Bolelli-Vavassori’s opponents in the final
Meanwhile, the semi-final of the men’s doubles ended with Arevalo/Pavic (seeded no. 9) beating Granollers/Zeballos
(no. 1 in the world) and will challenge Simone Bolelli and Andrea on Saturday
Vavassori in the first final of an Italian duo in Paris since 1959.
Errani-Paolini, where to watch the semi-final against Kostyuk and Rause
If Jannik Sinner reawakens Italian tennis, we would never have thought so much passion for doubles, and for women’s doubles. Today Sara Errani and the amazing “tappet” Jasmine Paolini (who is in the final – tomorrow – in the singles against the Polish, world number one, Iga Swiatek) will play the semi-final of Roland Garros against the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk and the Romanian Elena Gabriela Ruse. The fresh champions of the Internazionali di Roma, duo no. 11 in the ranking, they dream of a place in the final on Sunday morning.
Here’s how to watch the match.
June 7, 2024 (changed June 7, 2024 | 5:53 pm)
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