Paolini Cruises into Australian Open Round 2; Lys Seizes Second Chance

Paolini Cruises into Australian Open Round 2; Lys Seizes Second Chance

Twelve months ago, Jasmine Paolini was positioned at No.31, and her journey to the fourth round was her inaugural experience of advancing to the second week of a Grand Slam.

A year later, the 29-year-old has risen to the No.4 seed, having made it to her first two Grand Slam finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The Italian demonstrated her elevated ranking by swiftly defeating Chinese qualifier Wei Sijia with a score of 6-0, 6-4 in just 1 hour and 13 minutes.

In her first match in a Grand Slam main draw, Wei struggled with 16 unforced errors during a shaky first set but found her footing in the second, showcasing impressive drop shots and powerful strikes. Despite this, Paolini maintained control throughout the match, thwarting both break points she encountered while executing several remarkable forehand winners at crucial moments.

Paolini’s next opponent will be Mexican No.1 Renata Zarazua, who overcame a setback after losing a 5-1 advantage in the first-set tiebreak to beat Taylor Townsend 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-2. This victory marked Zarazua’s first triumph over Townsend in four encounters and her first primary draw win in Melbourne.
Former world No. 2 Ons Jabeur moved on with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Anhelina Kalinina. In contrast, No. 31 seed Maria Sakkari was eliminated by Camila Osorio in a thrilling late-night match, with scores of 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4. Jabeur and Osorio are set to face each other next. No. 13 seed Anna Kalinskaya, who reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal here last year after defeating Paolini, was compelled to withdraw before her opening match. Kalinskaya, who also pulled out due to illness from the Adelaide tournament last week, was substituted by lucky loser Eva Lys. Lys capitalized on her unexpected opportunity, swiftly overcoming Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrel with a score of 6-2, 6-2 in just 70 minutes, despite the short notice.

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“I discovered the news just ten minutes before the match, so I didn’t have the opportunity to feel nervous,” the 22-year-old German remarked afterward. “I believe that was what truly assisted me. I felt quite relaxed in my arm.”
Lys had been aware there was a strong chance she could receive a lucky loser position, so even after her final qualifying loss to Destanee Aiava, she altered her travel arrangements, stayed on site, and was present from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday. However, when Kalinskaya’s withdrawal was announced, she had to act quickly.

“I was lying on the physio table,” she shared with reporters, chuckling. “I was receiving treatment, so I had to get up and put on my clothes first quickly. [The supervisor] told me I was up for the next match. I thought they might still be in the first or second set, but it was [Matteo] Berrettini, and the score was 5-3. She said, ‘Yeah, you’re playing next match.’
“I felt a bit frantic because I hadn’t prepared my drinks. I wasn’t even wearing my match outfit. So I rushed to the locker room, changed immediately, and then they announced my name. No warm-up, nothing at all. Maybe that’s the secret for my next match!”
Lys is set to compete against France’s Varvara Gracheva, who progressed with a score of 6-3, 6-4 over Caty McNally.