Jasmine Paolini doesn’t imitate Jannik Sinner, no semifinal in Beijing

Jasmine Paolini fights with great generosity but it’s not enough: the Italian player is stopped in the quarterfinals of the “China Open,” the penultimate WTA 1000 of the season (prize money of $8,963,700), underway on the concrete courts of the Olympic Green Tennis Centre in Beijing and broadcast on SuperTennis, SuperTennis Plus and SuperTenniX.

The 29-year-old from Tuscany, No. 8 in the world rankings and sixth seed, on course to qualify for the WTA Finals in Riyadh, surrendered after more than two hours and forty-five minutes of battle to Amanda Anisimova, world No. 4 and third favorite, with a score of 6-7(4) 6-3 6-4. The American, a finalist this year at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, thus mathematically wins a pass to the Finals. Paolini, however, can regret the six missed break points in the eighth game of the deciding set.

Paolini’s path in Beijing remains positive, however: debut in the second round against Sevastova, then a clear success over Kenin (from whom she had never dropped a set) and an encore over Bouzkova in the round of 16. The Italian’s season remains of the highest level: 31 wins, 11 losses, the triumph at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia (where she also won the doubles with Sara Errani), the title in Dubai, the final in Cincinnati and the semifinal in Miami. In the Slams less continuity, with the best result in the round of 16 at Roland Garros.

Paolini thus remains in the running for a place at the Riyadh Finals: her tenacity and the quality she showed in Beijing are an important signal ahead of the last stages of the year.