Shocking Sweep: Paolini Destroys Swiatek to Reach Wuhan Semi, Gauff Advances

Paolini shocks Swiatek to reach Wuhan semifinals

Jasmine Paolini, a 29-year-old Italian and the No. 3 seed, delivered a masterclass by sweeping Iga Swiatek 6-1, 6-2 in 65 minutes to reach the semifinals of the Wuhan Open.

Paolini faced six break points and converted all of them, while Swiatek finished with 15 winners. The Italian played aggressively and kept errors to a minimum, while Swiatek struggled for rhythm.

Paolini broke Swiatek three times in the first set and twice more in the second as she closed out the match 6-1, 6-2. After the match, Paolini said she was thrilled with her level and that the win felt amazing.

The win sets up a semifinal against Coco Gauff, who earlier beat Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-0. Gauff has been in strong form in China this year, with 15 wins in China across the past two seasons, and becoming the first woman in 16 years of WTA 1000 events to reach five straight semifinals in China.

Notes from the day: Paolini’s 41st main-draw win of 2025, and her 26 wins at WTA 1000 events this year, keeping her on track for a Riyadh end-of-season berth. Gauff’s performance underlines her status as a form player in China, with Wuhan contributing to a notable run that features several top-10 players in the semifinals, per Opta.

Historically, Swiatek’s challenges in the 1000-point era continued as Paolini became only the second player to beat Swiatek in a 1000-point event while conceding three or fewer games, following Gauff’s Madrid victory earlier this year. At 29 years old, Paolini is the third oldest player to reach four semifinals in 1000-point events in a season, behind Hingis and Sharapova in their primes. Since 1990, Hingis and Sharapova have more 1000-point semifinals before turning 22 than Gauff (12).

Punchlines: If Paolini keeps this up, Swiatek might need a GPS to find her rhythm again. And the ball asked Paolini for her autograph—the performance was that good.