Jasmine Paolini does it the hard way: Sets up Cincinnati Open final with Iga Swiatek

Jasmine Paolini is into the Cincinnati Open Final and will face off against Iga Swiatek on Monday as she aims to join Jannik Sinner who is also into the final on the men's side in a potential for double Italian glory.

Paolini sealed a 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 win over Veronika Kudermetova in a resurgent run for the Russian and the Italian certainly did it the hard way in Cincinnati. After a steady opening stanza, she went 4-3 up and broke at the right time with an emphatic break to go 5-3 up. Before she then went on to seal a hold of serve to claim the set only losing one more point on serve and claimed it 6-3.

She broke early in the second. She went 3-2 up as she came from 40-15 down on the Kudermetova serve to go up against the Russian. She went 4-2 up holding serve from there and looked to be on her way to the victory and was only two games away.

She went 5-3 up and served for the match at 5-4 up but Kudermetova went 40-15 up and eventually managed to seal a break of serve that saw her turn the set around. Kudermetova went 6-5 up holding serve but was sent to a tie-break. A tie-break that was all Kudermetova as she took it all the way.

She breezed into a 4-1 lead and didn't relinquish it from there. Paolini lost serve again for 5-2 before she eventually sealed a set point which she converted. In the final set it was a topsy turvy affair as Paolini broke for 4-2 but holding serve next up was more of a task. Kudermetova came back to force three break points over the course of the game but Paolini managed to survive.

Kudermetova held serve in the next game but Paolini managed to win through eventually showing Italian grit and will now face Iga Swiatek in the final tomorrow who saw off Elena Rybakina earlier this evening.

Speaking afterwards and on facing Swiatek, she signalled game on and that she is very much looking forward to it. “It’s been really tough against her. She’s an amazing player. She defends really well. Serving good. I’m trying to do my best. We are in the final. I like the conditions. Let’s fight.”

It has not been easy all tournament for Paolini who saw off Coco Gauff, Barbora Krejcikova, Ashlyn Krueger and Maria Sakkari and now will face off against the third seed for a shot at the title and it is one she is certainly looking forward to.

Match Statistics Kudermetova vs. Paolini