Her previous biggest win of her career came in yesterday’s quarter-finals.
Then 15th-ranked Paolini made a splash by knocking out world number four Elena Rybakina, while unseeded 17-year-old Russian Andreeva responded with an even bigger bang when she sent world number two Aryna Sabalenka, who was suffering from a stomach bug, down.
Paolini showed patience and did not give anything away. She finished by whipping in a forehand and breaking into a big smile of victory.
“I was nervous”
– I am so happy, thank you very much. It was a tough match and she played so well. I lost to her a month ago and was nervous but became more and more relaxed the more I played, said Paolini, who had his big breakthrough as a 28-year-old, to the crowd. Last year she was ranked 53rd.
Before this year’s edition in Paris, the Italian had not even been past the third round of a Grand Slam.
– The most important thing in life and in sport is to be able to keep the dreams alive, says Paolini, who is also still in the semi-finals in doubles.
On Saturday, the supreme world number one Iga Swiatek awaits in the final and Paolini enters as one of the greatest underdogs of all time.