Svitolina Saves Match Points to Knock Out Paolini at Roland Garros

Elina Svitolina produced a remarkable comeback at Roland Garros on Sunday, saving three match points to defeat fourth seed Jasmine Paolini and secure a place in the French Open quarter-finals.

The Ukrainian, seeded 13th, came from a set down to claim a dramatic 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 victory in a last-eight clash that lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours.

“I still can’t quite believe I won,” Svitolina admitted after the match. “Jasmine was playing so well—it was incredibly tough. I just tried to stay calm and fight until the very last point.”

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The 30-year-old will now face either reigning champion Iga Swiatek, who is aiming for a fourth straight title, or former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals.

Svitolina Saves Match Points to Knock Out Paolini at Roland Garros
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina reacts winning a point to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini during their fourth round match of the French Tennis Open, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday, June 1 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Svitolina, a consistent performer in Paris over the years, has reached the French Open quarter-finals five times but has never progressed beyond that stage.

Paolini, who was last year’s runner-up and recently won the Italian Open, appeared to be in control when she held three match points in the second set. However, Svitolina dug deep, surviving the pressure to edge a nerve-wracking tiebreak and force a third set.

“It all came down to a couple of crucial points,” Svitolina reflected. “That second set was so long and tense, but I just kept believing.”

Building on the momentum, Svitolina raced to a 4-0 lead in the deciding set and sealed the win on her first match point.

The defeat is Paolini’s second loss to Svitolina at a Grand Slam this year. At the Australian Open, she also took the opening set before the Ukrainian rallied back to win in three.

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