Jasmine Paolini beat Marie Bouzkova 6-2 7-5 after 2 hours and 45 minutes to reach the quarter finals at the China Open in Beijing keeping her dream of qualifying for the WTA Finals in Ryadh. Paolini is currently ninth in the WTA Race to Ryadh, 65 points behind Elena Rybakina.
Paolini faced an early break point in the first game but she saved it. The Italian player earned a break point in the fourth game after Bouzkova made a double fault and converted it to take a 3-1 lead. Paolini saved a break-back point in the fifth game with her first serve. The 2024 Roland Garros and Wimbledon finalist closed out the first set 6-2 with her second break in the eighth game.
Bouzkova earned a break in the third game of the second set. Paolini broke straight back in the fourth game as Bouzkova made a double fault at 30-40. Bouzkova went up a break for the second time in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead, but Paolini converted her third break-back point to draw level to 3-3. Bouzkova broke for the third time in the seventh time, but Paolini broke straight back to draw level to 5-5. Paolini earned two match points in the 10th game, but Bouzkova saved them. Paolini earned two more match points in the 10th game on return and sealed the win with a break on her second opportunity.
Paolini set up a quarter this year’s Wimbledon and US Open finalist Amanda Anisimova, who came back from one set down to beat Karolina Muchova 1-6 6-2 6-4.
Muchova broke three times to win the first set 6-1. Anisimova bounced back by breaking twice to win the second set 6-2 forcing the match to the third set. Both players went on serve until the ninth game, when Anisimova earned the decisive break. The US player held serve to seal the third set on her first match point.
