Jasmine Paolini reaches new heights at U.S. Open

Before this year, Jasmine Paolini never played past the second round of a Grand Slam tournament.

On Saturday, the fifth-seeded Paolini defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open in New York, earning her way into the second week of a major tournament for the fourth time in 2024.

The Italian made the fourth round of the Australian Open and played in the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon. She joins Coco Gauff as the only women in 2024 to win three matches at all four Grand Slam events.

"This year I started well. I started believing more in myself," Paolini said in her on-court interview. "I started believing I could play well in the slams. Before this year, I never passed two rounds in a grand slam. It changed a little bit I guess."

Paolini was aggressive against Putintseva, going to the net 19 times and winning 12 points. And she also fought off seven of the Kazakhstani's nine break point chances while converting four of six on Putintseva's serve.

Next up for Paolini will be Karolina Muchova, who met Gauff in the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 2023, after the Czech's 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Russian Anastasia Potapova. Muchova is 3-0 all-time against Paolini, but the two last played in January 2021.

Joining Paolini and Muchova in the fourth round is Jessica Pegula, the sixth seed, who topped Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain 6-3, 6-3.

Pegula needed just 70 minutes to get past the Spaniard, who hit five winners compared to 29 unforced errors. Pegula was far sharper overall, winning the point on 89 percent of her first serves compared to 51 percent for her opponent.

The will be the third straight fourth-round appearance for Pegula, who has never advanced past the quarterfinal of a major tournament.

In Monday's fourth round, Pegula will play Russian Diana Shnaider, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Sara Errani of Italy.

--Field Level Media