Jasmine Paolini has reached the fourth round of the Wimbledon open for the first time after defeating Bianca Andreescu.
She won 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 under the roof on Court One.
Italian Paolini, 28, is into the second week having never previously won a match at Wimbledon until this year.
There was little to separate the players in the first set as they both looked to attack at the first opportunity, but Andreescu could not maintain her level.
Paolini had not gone beyond the second round of a Grand Slam until 2024.
She will play 12th seed Madison Keys or 18th seed Marta Kostyuk in the last 16.
Paolini and Canadian Andreescu played each other in the French Open third round five weeks ago, when the Italian won in three sets.
That was Andreescu’s first tournament in nine months as she returned from a back problem, the latest in a series of serious injuries that have blighted her career since she won the US Open as a 19-year-old in 2019.
Now ranked 176th in the world, she matched her opponent’s shot-making in the first set but faded in the second, losing the final six games with Paolini sealing victory with a backhand return winner.
“I think I played a good match,” said a delighted Paolini. “I tried to be aggressive because, if not, I am going to have to run so much.”
