By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, July 7, 2024
French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini reached her maiden Wimbledon quarterfinal when Madison Keys, who led 5-3 in the third, retired at 5-all with a leg injury.
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Wimbledon—Separated by the net, two major finalists were at disparate emotional extremes today.
A tearful Madison Keys retired at 5-all in the decider after suffering an apparent left leg injury, sending Jasmine Paolini into her first career Wimbledon quarterfinal.
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The third set was deadlocked after 10 games when a hobbled Keys, who was pinching back tears a times after her injury, pulled the plug sending Paolini into the last eight 6-3, 6-7(6), 5-5, Retired.
A brutal ending to a match that popped with brilliance at times.
It’s clearly not the way she wanted to win, but Paolini scored her 10th victory in her last 11 major matches becoming the fifth Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Roland Garros runner-up Paolini joins Camila Giorgi (2018), Francesca Schiavone (2009), Silvia Farina Elia (2003) and Laura Golarsa (1989) as the fifth Italian woman to reach the elite eight at The Championships.
“Right now, I’m so sorry for her,” Paolini said in her on-court interview. “To end the match like this, it’s bad. But what can I say?
“I think we played a really, really good match. Was tough, a lot of ups and downs. I’m feeling a little bit happy but also sad for her. It’s not easy to win like that. I hope you enjoyed the match.”
The seventh-seeded Paolini will face another American—either US Open champion and second seed Coco Gauff or 19th-seeded Emma Navarro—for a semifinal spot.
"Never won against them, so it's going to be tough," Paolini said. "I think every match is different. I'm going to step on court trying to play my game, to try to beat one of them. But it's not going to be easy because I think both of them are playing unbelievable.
"Coco, it's an unbelievable player. She won a Grand Slams, many tournaments. Emma, she play tennis in a special way. She has so fast hand. I love how she play tennis. It's going to be tough.
"But I'm here to be ready, to try to do match with them, to try to do a good performance."
It’s a gut-wrenching end for Keys, who served for the quarterfinals at 5-3 and was broken then seemed to suffer an upper left leg strain in the following game trying to chase a shot Paolini hit behind her.
After the Italian held for 4-5, Keys left the court for a medical time-out and returned with heavy strapping around her left leg.
A despondent Keys tried one more time to serve it out, but couldn’t really press off on her left leg. Paolini broke again before Keys pulled the plug on 5-all after two hours, 23 minutes of mainly high-quality play.
“It was a rollercoaster,” Paolini said. “I started really well. I was really focused on court but then she had a great tennis. She’s a great champion.
“It was tough to return balls because it came fast. I was repeating to myself to stay there and somehow, I know she retired, but I’m here with the win, so…”
At the outset, Paolini played with more precision and was willing to match the powerful Keys forehand to forehand in building a one-set lead.
Serving to force a third set at 5-3, Keys could not close. Paolini pounced on a few forehands, including dripping a drive near Keys’ shoelaces. The American could not handle a half volley as Paolini broke back with a clenched fist for 4-5.
Running around a backhand return, Keys tomahawked a forehand return winner for deuce in the 12th game. Paolini withstood the pressure holding to force the tiebreaker.
Little separated the pair in the extra session. Keys cranked a crackling return right through the middle of the court earning set point at 6-5.
The 2023 US Open semifinalist missed a forehand. Paolini netted an inside-out forehand giving Keys a second set point.
Keys skimmed the net during a 16-shot rally then moved forehand blocking a backhand volley to snatch the second set and force a decider. Keys hit seven more winners—18 to 11—in the second set and pressed forward more frequently in the tiebreaker to force a final set.
The world No. 13 saved a break point with a forehand volley and held firm for 1-all in the decider.
Measuring her forehand with menace, Keys clubbed a forehand return down the line, rattling out the break at 15 for a 2-1 lead.
Fending off a break point in the following game, Keys stepped inside the court and flashed a forehand into the corner holding for 3-1.
"I was trying to fight every point because you never know here on grass if you are up or if you are down, every match can I think turn, you know, turn around," Paolini said. "I was, like, just be focus and try to win points, to play points by point.
"Yeah, was a roller coaster because I think she's playing unbelievable. I was doing more mistakes, her level was going up. It's not easy to play against her because I think she's one of the best players in the world. Of course, she's hitting so fast.
"I think, yeah, it's normal that was a roller coaster because the level was so high."
The 2023 Eastbourne champion Keys threw down her fifth ace extending her lead to 4-2.
For two sets, Paolini was often standing toe-to-toe with Keys in baseline exchanges.
As the final set wore on, Keys was playing off the front foot more frequently and exuding easy power. Drilling a diagonal forehand winner, Keys scored her fifth break for a 5-2 lead.
The French Open finalist wasn’t done. Paolini pumped a forehand behind Keys to break back in the eighth game. After striking a forehand, Keys tugged on her upper left leg as if suffering a strain.
After Paolini held to narrow the gap to 4-5, Keys called for the trainer and took a medical timeout for treatment.
Lying on a purple as the trainer stretched out her leg, Keys then departed the court at about 3:18 local time for the medical timeout.
After about a 5-minute medical timeout, Keys returned to try to serve it out again, this time sporting heavy taping around her upper left thigh, about 10 minutes after the prior point was played.
Trying to shorten points, Keys played a drop shot, but Paolini tracked it down and shoveled back a winner for two break points. Keys, casting concerned glances at her box, seemed to pinch back tears at that point and looked to have trouble pushing off the left leg.
Still, she saved a break point with a backhand down the line. Double-faulting back the break for 5-all, Keys was pacing slowly and grimacing as she looked up at her partner and coach Bjorn Fratangelo in the support box before retiring. An emotional Keys embraced Paolini at net and hobbled off court to a rousing ovation from fans.