Jasmine Paolini has carved out a nice niche for herself on the WTA tour. She isn't tall, but she definitely has a good amount of power on her first serve. It is her second serve that can be an issue, and it definitely was against Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2026.
The first set started evenly, but also tellingly. If Paolini didn't land her first serve, Kostyuk would crush the second one. If the match turned into a battle of power on power, the Italian was going to get pushed off the court, literally.
As the opening set unfolded, Paolini, a fan-favorite due to her quick smile and abundant energy, began to struggle with getting her first serve in, and Kostyuk began to take control, hitting forehand winners off the serve that reached 115 mph. Even the speedy Paolini could do little to stop the onslaught.
Marta Kostyuk dominates Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon 2026 quarterfinals
The Ukrainian took the opening set 6-3, and her form was improving as the match grew longer. Paolini had to hope for a dip, or she wouldn't be playing in the semifinals.
That didn't happen early in the second set. At 2-1, Kostyuk got another break and then held to take a 4-1 lead. Fans of Paolini might have seen a little hope, though. Kostyuk was beginning to get into extended rallies, and that helped the Italian, who could run shots down better than her opponent.
The answer for Kostyuk was her serve, though. If she landed her first serve, she was dictating the point. Still, Paolini was only a break down, and could even the match quickly with a break.
With Kostyuk leading 4-2, Paolini did get a 30-0 lead, but the 2024 Wimbledon finalist wouldn't win another point in the game. Kostyuk, who is having her best year on tour and is only 24 years old, appeared to be ascending toward long-term excellence in front of those watching the Wimbledon match unfold.
Not only would Paolini not get the break at 4-2, but she wouldn't hold the next game. Kostyuk earned another break to take the set 6-2, putting her into the second semifinal of a major in her young career.
Marta Kostyuk will next play the winner of the Linda Noskova and Elise Mertens match in the Wimbledon semifinals. Should the Ukrainian win that match, she would play either Coco Gauff or Karolina Muchova in the final on Saturday.
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