Jasmine Paolini fought hard until the death in the biggest match of her career and despite trailing Anna Kalinskaya for so much of their time on court, she turned the contest around to dramatically win 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 and become a surprise champion at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Over the past few years, Paolini has gradually risen up the rankings, improving with every year and learning how to impose her game, and her forehand, on bigger and stronger opponents. By winning by far the biggest title of her career at the WTA 1000 event, just her second title overall, the 28-year-old will break into the top 20 for the first time in her career, rising to a best ranking of No 14 from her current No 26.
