Local favorite Jasmine Paolini staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Diana Shnaider 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-2, securing her place in the Italian Open semifinals.
The sixth seed became the first Italian woman to reach the last four in Rome since Sara Errani in 2014, overcoming a one-set deficit and a 4-0 hole in the second set.
Shnaider, who claimed the first set via a tiebreak, surged to a 4-0 lead in the second before rain briefly halted play. After the delay, Paolini, fueled by passionate home crowd support, reeled off six consecutive games to level the match. The 29-year-old then dominated the deciding set to seal the victory.
Paolini credited Errani, her doubles partner and a former finalist, for providing crucial encouragement during the rain break. “It was a good thing that it rained for five minutes. I got some coaching from Sara,” Paolini said, acknowledging Errani’s support from the stands.
Paolini now awaits either two-time champion Elina Svitolina or Peyton Stearns in the semifinals. No Italian woman has won the tournament since Raffaella Reggi’s triumph in 1985.