Paolini Defeats the World Number Two in Their First Wuhan Open Campaign

After outlasting Danish Clara Tauson in the previous round, Italian World Number Four Jasmine Paolini handed out a scathing lashing on World Number Two Iga Swiatek in the Quarterfinals, ending the Pole’s debut at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open underway in Wuhan, China. This defeat ends Swiatek’s dominant run in the two’s head-to-head, where she’s won all six times in their previous matchups. Paolini also cemented her place in the WTA Finals to take place at the end of the tennis season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Italian retained all in the two’s last matchup in the finals of the Cincinnati Open, and decided that history would not be repeated, so soon.

Rally Consistency

In this match, Swiatek was far from the picture of consistency that she’s revered for, which led to her success in another tournament in the Asian Swing recently. Though the match was a mere hour and five minutes, she hit a staggering 20 unforced errors and 10 winners. No doubt, her over-eagerness to end points via wild winners, even when not in a position to, contributed to this, but she also flubbed many simple, routine rally shots that applied very little pressure to her more than footwork, especially in the first set. Compared to these particular statistics to her opponent’s, who hit 15 winners and only three unforced errors, it’s quite clear why there’s such a glaring disparity between the two’s total match points won— Swiatek with 25 and Paolini with 52.

I always like to say a rally becomes a rally when the other person returns the ball into play, and it continues until someone is unable to. Both players entered swinging to their absolute might, with all the power, depth, and angles to displace the other. Swiatek fell behind very early on, unable to keep up with the Italian’s huge shots and fast swings, which dictated almost every point. While Paolini attacked everything with varying levels of verve, adjusting each time she was off-balanced or in defense, utilizing the deep corners of the court, Swiatek almost did the opposite. She went for the biggest and most impossible shots, deeply angled and right for the lines, but missed far more than her efforts paid her. Worst still, the wild-angled shots she did make worked against her and opened her own court, allowing Paolini to do the running she does best, where she repeatedly cracked responses that sent Swiatek sprawling. Paolini kept to what worked, striking shots relentlessly, with a good margin for error, and when on defense, sent shots deep, right back to Swiatek’s feet, which she was repeatedly unable to get around.

Service and Returns 

The Polish six-time Grand Slam champion started out serving well enough, which is what gave her the majority of the games today, but her serve wasn’t reliable, nor a weapon enough to give her any advantages. Swiatek’s double faults were a low, respectable two, but her aces were the same amount. Additionally, her first serve percentage was just alright at 60.5%, but she only won 47.8% of those. Second serve points won were worse at 13.3%, and she was broken all six times she faced the chance. Paolini, on the other hand, defied her five-foot-four height and had a serve that fully served her. Though she had no aces and one double-fault, her first serve consistency was not too far from Swiatek’s at 66.7%. Paolini’s serve soared, however, with 73.1% of her first serve points won, and 61.5% of her second. Pair that with only being broken once in the match, and the efficient, merciless groundstroke game she played, it’s truly no question why Paolini was the one setting the pace throughout.

The Italian competitor was just as punishing and unforgiving in her return game as she was for the rest of it. If it wasn’t a sharp down-the-line winner from either wing, she’d hit an equally harsh ball straight down the middle, right back to Swiatek’s feet. Everything she did displaced the Polish champion badly, either by way of a winner or in setting up the point for it to be. Swiatek had a few blinding hotshot winners off Paolini’s serve, and others were deep and well struck enough that the Italian couldn’t reach. The fact is, Swiatek went big here, too, and what she did to try and replicate her opponent’s ferocious returns only set her up badly. All her attempts to spread Paolini thin across the court left her scraping and scrambling. 

Why Paolini Conquered & What’s Next

The Italian’s superb movement across the court, matched with her booming shots and terrifying accuracy, simply proved more than the World Number Two could handle. On every level, Paolini outplayed Swiatek, who couldn’t find any consistency or weaknesses to exploit and was rewarded with a well-earned win at 6-1, 6-2. Paolini will continue to the Semifinals to face American World Number Three, Coco Gauff. They will face off at 5 a.m. EST. Gauff and the Italian have played five times before, and Paolini currently leads their head-to-head three to two, last defeating her in the Cincinnati Open earlier this year.