Jasmine Paolini recovered from a poor start to defeat Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1 to qualify for the 2025 Italian Open final.
The Italian struggled in the opening set to trail 5-3 before recovering in the second set to seal victory.
She became the first Italian woman to reach the singles final in Rome since 2014, when Sara Errani was beaten by Serena Williams.
Paolini is attempting to become Italy’s first women’s singles champion in Rome in 40 years.
She will take on Coco Gauff or China’s Zheng Qinwen in the final on Saturday.
The 29-year-old admitted that she struggled to get going in the opening moments before bouncing back to win.
Paolini said, “At the beginning, I was feeling so slow. I told myself I had to hit the ball harder because she was playing amazingly, but I managed to stay in there somehow, and I won the match, and I’m really happy about it.
“In the first round I was nervous and in the second also, and maybe again today, but the crowd was unbelievable and they helped me a lot. It’s beautiful to play here in Italy, and they support us no matter what, so that is the most important thing.”
“You (the crowd) gave me a boost because today it was a bit of an uphill start, and I struggled at the beginning; thank goodness you were there.
“We won this match together. Point after point I managed to fight, to turn it around, even if at the beginning I did not have a good feeling. But I am happy with the way I managed to turn this match around.”
Paolini said she will prepare adequately to face either Coco Gauff or China’s Zheng Qinwen in the final.
She said, “They are both very strong players with good forehands and can play with speed on the clay court. For sure, my coach will watch their match and we will prepare our tactics.”
Paolini is a three-time major finalist, contesting the singles and doubles finals of the 2024 French Open and the singles final of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.
