The journey stops one step away from the final Jasmine Paolini in the WTA 500 of Eastbournelast test (the first for garfagnine) on the road that leads to Wimbledon. The Russian team took care of stopping the advance of the number three seed Daria Kasatkinawho won with a comeback 6-3 5-7 3-6 at the end of a vibrant match, played on many twists and turns and decided on just a few points. A defeat that fuels a bit of regret, but which will perhaps serve to Jasmine to understand more about how to play on grass, a surface almost unknown to her (6 matches won and 13 lost in her entire career).
Great first set and great show
The semi-final of Eastbourne it was also quite a bit at times fun, such as to allow the public present to enjoy a good show. Paolini she immediately had to chase her opponent, who was good at finding the break in the opening game promptly “returned” by the Garfagnina in the next one.
Two unexploited break points in the fourth game give the impression that the Italian is the one who is more in form, also because in the end the break comes anyway in the sixth game after two opportunities thwarted by the Russian (but not the third). Jasmine plays loosely: the backhand enters systematically and Kasatkina suffers the variations in the game. In the end the final 6-3 is even benevolent towards the 27 year old from Togliattiaware that much more would be needed to try to turn things around.
Kasatkina is a tough nut to crack: she falters, gets up and wins
However, the Russian seems to understand the antiphon, so much so in the second set the battle becomes decidedly more complex. Touch a Pauline defuse the rival’s powerful game: in the sixth game he saves 4 break points, managing to hold his own Daria who even on his own service turns concedes very little (in three games just one point brought home by Jasmine). At 6-5 the Tuscan had to serve to stay in the set, but a couple of lines found by Kasatkina they call everything into question and the final 7-5 rewards the Russian’s courage and cheek.
That too starts very badly in the third setimmediately conceding two break points that Paolini punctually exploits (the second is good). When the Italian seems to be in control, in the fourth game something unexpected happens: Jasmine sale 40-15 but can’t closewith the rival finding the strength to restore parity and open up a whole other phase of the match.
However, the watershed moment of the match comes in the next game: Kasatkina finds herself down 0-40, but with 5 consecutive points it takes away all certainty from the Garfagnina, who this time feels the blow and not surprisingly gives up the serve in a scoreless game (9 points in a row from the Russian!)The ending is marked: Daria holds his serve very well and closes 6-3, legitimizing a superiority which is admired, however, only in the key moments of the match, taking advantage of the 74% of points with the second (against 61%).
