Before the Cincinnati Open clash against two-time slam queen Coco Gauff, Italian star Jasmine Paolini was hardly confident about her chances. Despite being victorious in their last meeting in Rome, Paolini was not sure if she would be able to pull this off. “It is tough to play here. You know it’s so different here, it’s so fast,” she said, referring to the hard court. But on Friday, the Italian bested the World No. 2 again, this time in a thrilling comeback with a score line of 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Now, it’s going to be Paolini in the semis. And Gauff? Well, she has invited an inevitable threat to herself. The six-time Grand Slam winner, Iga Swiatek .

In a crucial quarterfinal clash, Paolini managed to topple Gauff in a cliffhanger battle. After the American snatched the first set, Paolini

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