PAOLINI'S PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE

Italian stuns Rybakina and will play another shock semi-finalist Andreeva for final spot

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Italian surprise package Jasmine Paolini coped with being “too emotional” in the second set to stave off a fightback from fourth seed Elena Rybakina and seal a stunning 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win on June 5 and advance to the French Open semi-finals for the first time.

The 12th seed set up a last-four showdown with Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who stunned Belarusian world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4 in another quarter-final on Court Philippe-Chartrier.

“It’s an unbeatable feeling. It was a tough match,” said Paolini, who become the fourth Italian woman after Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani and Martina Trevisan to make the Roland Garros semi-finals in the Open era. “I was too emotional in the second set. I said to myself, ‘It’s okay she’s a great champion. It can happen. Just fight and try to hit every ball’.