Jasmine Paolini, world #9, took on the reigning French Open champion and world #2 Coco Gauff with a semifinal spot on the line.

The diminutive Italian had defeated the American twice this season on the dirt but was 0-2 on hardcourt. While Gauff, just twenty-one, triumphed at this event in 2023, Paolini was playing her second quarterfinal. The 29-year-old Italian reached a career-high rank of #4 last fall, having made consecutive finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. She won the toss and elected to serve.

Although she made 3/5 first serves, she dumped serve with a double fault while Gauff gifted two double faults yet held following four deuce and two break points. Paolini donated four unforced errors to drop serve, and Gauff gave it back with five unforced errors, including three additional double faults! Paolini, not known for a powerful serve, held at love for 2-3 while the 2-time grand slam champion held to 30 for 4-2.

Paolini made 6/8 first serves but faced a break point and dumped serve following two consecutive unforced errors. Gauff serving for the set and with new balls, struck her second ace and clinched it with a sharp inside-out forehand volley winner.

Photo by: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The second set was similar to the first, with both hitting more errors than winners. The Italian served first and held to 30 while Gauff, with her exceptional movement and defense, held to 15 to level. Paolini gifted her first double fault but held to 30 while Gauff despite missing 4/5 first serves, held to 15 for 2-2. Paolini missed 3/6 first serves but held to 30, while Gauff missed 6/8 first serves, including three consecutive double faults to dump serve.

Paolini gave back the break with three groundstroke errors but led 4-3. Gauff gave back the break with two unforced errors, including her tenth double fault. Paolini served for the set with new balls but gave back the break with four unforced errors, two off each side. The 2025 Roland Garros champion served to stay in the set but conceded it 4-6 with four consecutive unforced errors, including another double fault.

The Italian served first in the decider and though she faced a double break point, held despite rolling her ankle on game point with a fantastic running forehand down the line. Gauff dropped serve with three additional double faults, while her opponent, whose second serve is equally vulnerable, gave back the break with a mishit forehand. Paolini, an accomplished doubles player with nine titles, including a grand slam in Paris this spring, made numerous, uncharacteristic errors at the net.

Gauff committed three forehand errors and dumped serve, and Paolini gave back the break with three of her own. Gauff made 4/4 first serves, hit two forehand winners, and held at love to level at three. Paolini took more time between points, and it served her. She played more aggressively off the ground, made 5/6 first serves, and held to 30 for 4-3.

Gauff opened the eighth with her fifteenth double fault and dumped serve with another and a mishit backhand. Paolini served for the match and quickly reached 40-0, but it was far from over. Gauff struck the ball with increased velocity and extracted errors, but it failed to flip the script as the Italian secured victory when Gauff netted a forehand. It wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing or enthralling quarterfinal match at the 1000 level this season, but it was dramatic.

The Italian has defeated the world #2 for the third time this season to reach the penultimate round for the first time. Not surprisingly, she served zero aces and two double faults. She won 57% of first and a scant 36% of second serve points. She saved 3/10 break points while converting 7/15. Movement and mentality are her strengths. The same can be said for her opponent since both struggle on serve.

Next up is the resurgent Russian, Veronika Kudermetova. The world #36 reached a career high rank of #9 in 2022 and poses a formidable threat. En route to the semis, she eliminated three seeds: Belinda Bencic, Clara Tauson, and Magda Linette.

A prodigious doubles player like Paolini, Kudermetova won the event at Wimbledon this season and will look to move forward behind her commanding serve in this intriguing semifinal matchup. Kudermetova leads the head-to-head 3-1, including a straight-sets victory four years ago at this event – the last time they competed.