“I’m proud of myself.” On the day of Italvolley’s second European championship and Top Ganna’s triumph in the cycling world time trial, Jasmine Paolini’s first career WTA title, in Portoroz, Slovenia, ended up a bit in the background, but it is yet another winning episode of the incredible summer of Italian sport. And for tennis an important signal, because after so many great results of the boys it is the first flash of the Italian nouvelle vague, the second of 2019 after that of great prestige by Camila Giorgi, the blue who in recent years has been the glue between two generations, at the Wta 1000 in Montreal.
And Jasmine is right to be proud, because it is a success built on talent but also on will, on continuous growth, on the determination that was also the trademark of her coach, the former blue of Davis Renzo Furlan.
Paolini, 25, from today n.64 WTA, born in Castelnuovo Garfagnana from her father Ugo and her mother Jacqueline Gardiner, of Ganese and Polish origins, had never reached the WTA level up to now. In the Slovenian WTA 250 he eliminated four valuable opponents – the last three of them top 50 – such as Dayana Yastremska (seeded # 6) in the first round, Sorana Cirstea (seeded # 4) in the quarterfinals, number 2 of the draw Yulia Putintseva in the semifinals and the seeded number 3, the American Allison Riske, in a final that started three hours late due to the rain and closed 7-6 6-4 by the Italian. «I have never given myself for life – said Jasmine – for this reason I am proud of myself. It was a really great week, winning the first title is a great achievement for me, and doing it on hard courts makes it even more special ». Jasmine does not have a wonderwoman physique, she is six feet tall, and her favorite surface has always been clay; imposing against opponents who are theoretically all more at ease than her on the fast is another medal. Paolini’s was the 75th triumph of an Italian (by 19 players), at WTA level, a series started in 1982 by Sabina Simmonds in Bakersfield. After the darkness following the exhaustion of the generation of champions led by Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone, last year the exploit of 27-year-old Martina Trevisan arrived, reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros; in August it was the turn of the 29-year-old Giorgi in Canada. Jasmine’s success is a sign that Berrettini & Co.’s successes have really rekindled the engine of our tennis, including women’s tennis.