Jasmine Paolini pulled off a win at the Cincinnati Open, edging Maria Sakkari 7-6, 7-6 in a match full of high drama and mental toughness.
The match ended unusually: Sakkari double-faulted on match point. Speaking to Steve Weissman at the Tennis Channel desk afterward, Paolini couldn’t help but laugh when asked if she felt relieved.
“Yes! I’m sorry to her, but yes! After she missed that first serve, I was thinking, ‘Please make the double fault!’ I have to be honest, yes,” Paolini admitted, still smiling.
She went on to explain just how tense the closing moments were:
“It was a really tough tiebreak. I was up 6-0, then I missed a volley at the net. Suddenly it was 6-5 I was praying!”
The honesty and humor gave fans a peek into what was going through her mind in one of the match’s most pressurized moments.
Now, Paolini shifts focus to her next opponent: No. 26 Ashlyn Krueger, who also won a victory of her own — 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 over Anastasija Sevastova. Krueger’s power game will sure test Paolini’s consistency and composure all over again.