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Jasmine Paolini ended the run of Daria Kasatkina in the quarter-finals of the Palermo Ladies Open on Friday. The Italian, seeded fifth in her home event, toppled the top seed in a contest that went the distance and lasted two hours and 25 minutes.
Paolini prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Both players won around 50% of their first-serve points. Kasatkina won 54% while Paolini won 52%. But the latter won 54% of her second-serve points and 58% points on return on Kasatkina’s second serve.
Of the two players, Paolini faced more break points at 19. She, however, saved 13 of these while converting seven of the 10 break points that she generated on Kasatkina’s serve. Next up for the Italian is Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Sorribes Tormo defeated Clara Burel 6-1, 7-6(6) in three minutes past the two-hour-mark to make it to the semi-finals. Sorribes Tormo won 55% of her second-serve points to the French player’s 36%. She also saved two of the four break points she faced while converting five of eight break points on Burel’s serve.
The Spaniard finished with 79 points to Burel’s 66 for the match.
Palermo Ladies Open: Qinwen Zheng sets match-up with Mayar Sherif
Meanwhile, in the bottom half of the draw, second seed Qinwen Zheng advanced to the semi-finals without much fuss.
The Chinese player came through against seventh seed Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-2 after an hour and 20 minutes of play. Zheng won 85% of her first-serve points and 55% of her second-serve points. She also finished the match by winning 57% points on return on the American’s second serve.
The 20-year-old saved both break points she faced and converted three break points on Navarro’s serve. For the match, Zheng won 18 points more than Navarro’s 50. Mayar Sherif will be Zheng’s opponent in the semi-final of the Palermo Ladies Open.
The third-seeded Egyptian defeated Camila Osorio 6-4, 6-1 in an hour and 37 minutes in their quarter-final clash to put herself through to the semis. Photo Credit: Palermo Ladies Open Twitter