The dolore didn’t last long. After Jannik Sinner’s defeat by Daniil Medvedev, the Italian flags on Centre Court were soon fluttering again as Jasmine Paolini defeated Emma Navarro 6-1, 6-2 to become the first Italian woman to reach a Wimbledon semi-final. Not bad for a 28-year-old who, until this year, had not won a single tour match on grass.
This was the first time in four attempts Paolini had made it past the first round at this tournament. She had lost to the American every time they had played before – three times in the past nine months.
