Match Reaction

Paolini falls to Rakhimova, fourth Top 5 seed to lose at Wimbledon

3m read 03 Jul 2025 4d ago
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Summary Generated By AI

Jasmine Paolini, the 2024 finalist, fell to Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set upset at Wimbledon. Paolini is the fourth Top 5 seed to exit early. Rakhimova advances to the third round to face No. 30 seed Linda Noskova.

highlights

Swiatek seals first grass-court Top 10 win over Paolini

04:06
Iga_Swiatek_-_Bad_Homburg_Open_2025_-_Day_5-DSC_7328

Defending finalist Jasmine Paolini

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Wimbledon: Scores Order of play | Draws

The fourth-seeded Italian was a set up against Kamilla Rakhimova

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Runner-up to Barbora Krejcikova

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, No. 3 Jessica Pegula
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and No. 5 Zheng Qinwen all lost in the first round on Tuesday -- and No. 9 seed Paula Badosa
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was bundled out by Katie Boulter
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on Monday.

Fifteen of the 32 seeds lost over the first three days in all.

This is the first time since 2018 that four of the Top 5 seeds were eliminated from Wimbledon before the third round. Just like this year, out of the Top 5 seeds, only the No. 1 seed (Simona Halep) survived the second round at 2018 Wimbledon.

And that didn't last long -- Halep lost in the third round. In fact, at 2018 Wimbledon, no Top 10 seeds made the quarterfinals. Fittingly, the No. 11 seed won the 2018 Wimbledon title -- Angelique Kerber.

World No. 80 Rakhimova entered the match 0-7 against Top 10 players in her career, and had won just one set in those matches. But she turned the tide in the match by saving four break points in her first service game of the second set when trailing 6-4, 1-0.

She never lost serve in sets two and three, and made a break of Paolini's serve to start the decider stand up until the end of the 2 hour, 19-minute affair.

"It feels amazing. I enjoyed myself on the court today ... I believed in myself and worked for it," Rakhimova told wtatennis.com afterwards. "I just tried to play point by point; it doesn't matter the score, doesn't matter the opponent, and did my job."

The 23-year-old moves on to the third round of a Grand Slam event for the third time, having previously done so at the US Open in 2021, and Roland Garros in 2023. But she says that her flat hitting may be most suited to grass-court tennis, though she had never previously won a main-draw match at Wimbledon.

The week prior to Wimbledon, Rakhimova reached her first Hologic WTA Tour-level quarterfinal of the season in Eastbourne, where she upset No. 6 seed Peyton Stearns

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-- who beat Pegula on Monday.

"Last year, my grass season was quite short," she said. "But this year I had really good prep, three tournaments before Wimbledon. I'm enjoying grass right now and I'm feeling it."

Looking to reach the fourth round of a major for the first time, Rakhimova will next face No. 30 seed Linda Noskova

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6-2, 2-6, 6-3. While Noskova reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last year, this is her first time past the second round at Wimbledon.

 

Summary Generated By AI

Jasmine Paolini, the 2024 finalist, fell to Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set upset at Wimbledon. Paolini is the fourth Top 5 seed to exit early. Rakhimova advances to the third round to face No. 30 seed Linda Noskova.

highlights

Swiatek seals first grass-court Top 10 win over Paolini

04:06
Iga_Swiatek_-_Bad_Homburg_Open_2025_-_Day_5-DSC_7328