WTA Madrid, Jasmine Paolini on velvet: overwhelmed Katie Boulter

Mission accomplished for Jasmine Paolini. The Italian acceded to the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, beating British Katie Boulter in two sets and about an hour of play. Very few headaches indeed for the Tuscan winner of the Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024, as the final score showed: 6-1, 6-2.

The beginning of the challenge against the number 40 on the WTA circuit seems rather even, so much so that in the second and third games of the first set come break and counterbreak. But then Paolini put the turbocharger on and won the next four games by twice more breaking Boulter’s serve, never giving her a real chance to get back on track.

The trend continued in the second set, with Jasmine Paolini even taking a 5-0 lead, leaving just four points to the stunned Boulter along the way. After winning a total of nine games in a row, however, it was she who conceded a break to her opponent, who won two before capitulating once and for all.

Jasmine Paolini’s next challenge at the Madrid WTA 1000, the one valid for the round of 16, will see the Tuscan face the winner of the match between Magda Linette and Maria Sakkari. A’golden opportunity to cement and perhaps further improve her already excellent sixth position in the WTA world ranking.