Neither player played overly well. This needs to be known going forward. The Cincinnati Open semifinal match between Jasmine Paolini and Veronika Kudermetova turned into one that was more about who wasn't going to lose the match than who was going to win it. This isn't what fans want.
And to be fair, no matter how either player was performing, the truth was that in their current form, Paolini or Kudermetova was not going to have any chance of beating Iga Swiatek in the final of the Cincinnati Masters on Monday. Not unless they reverse the form they showed on Sunday.
Paolini jumped out to a quick lead by taking the first set 6-3. She was the player since the beginning of 2024 who had been more consistently in form. She kind of came out of nowhere, to be fair. In other sports, there might be questions about how she went from mediocre results to extremely high-end ones.
Jasmine Paolini defeats Veronika Kudermetova to move into the final of the 2025 Cincinnati Open
But tennis does its due diligence in terms of testing, and Paolini's form is more about having a high tennis IQ and working very hard at her game. She has earned what she has gotten in the last couple of years, and that includes a top 10 ranking.
Kudermetova was once ranked in the top 10, too. In 2023, she reached No. 9. But 2024 was a complete mess, and she struggled as if she were ranked 600. No more, at least for now.
The 28-year-old Russian was trying to get to the point where she could win her first Masters 1000 against a 29-year-old Italian who has won two, both coming since the middle of last year. Paolini appeared well on her way to potentially grab a third until she wasn't.
Kudermetova somehow fought her way back to even the match at a set apiece, even though through two sets she had more than 50 unforced errors. Again, this match was not about perfection but which player would make fewer errors.
Midway through the third set, Paolini got the break she needed as Kudermetova dipped in form. This has been the key to the Italian's ascendance. She remains consistent through most matches while her opponents fluctuate. Even while not overpowering, she stays in form as far as placement, and players struggle with that.
After struggling to hold deep in the third set, Paolini was able to do so and take a 5-2 lead. At that point, the match seemed done. Kudermetova was able to hold, but the damage was done. Paolini then held easily to take the third set 6-3.
Easy prey for Iga Swiatek in the Cincinnati Open final? In their form through two sets, both Jasmine Paolini and Veronika Kudermetova were going to be.