Jasmine Paolini just pulled off another one of those matches that makes you wonder if she’s secretly part machine, part tennis wizard. The Italian powerhouse clawed her way past Veronika Kudermetova in a Cincinnati Open semi-final that had more ups and downs than a roller coaster designed by someone with serious commitment issues.

Paolini improves to a 3-2 head-to-head against Gauff, moving into her third WTA 1,000 semifinal of 2025, after winning her home Italian Open in May. Paolini, the current French Open doubles champion, will face Veronika Kudermetova of Russia Sunday.

Jasmine Paolini advanced to the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open with a straight-sets win over Barbora Krejcikova, and the Italian was in a playful mood in her on-court interview