Stearns wins historic third-set tiebreak to enter maiden Rome SF

Rome, May 14 (IANS) Peyton Stearns made history at the Italian Open with her latest nail-biting victory over No. 16 seed Elina Svitolina in a thrilling quarterfinal match as she became the first player in the Open Era to win three consecutive WTA main-draw matches in third-set tiebreaks.

After seeing a 6-2, 4-2 lead slip through her fingers, unseeded American Stearns rallied from a double-break down in the third set to outlast No. 16 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(4) in two hours and 38 minutes.

In her last two rounds, Stearns toppled Grand Slam champions Madison Keys and Naomi Osaka in third-set tiebreaks, setting up her history-making streak. Her upset of World No.6 Keys was her career-best win by opponent ranking.

She is the first player to make the semifinals at her Rome main-draw debut since Daria Saville

in 2015, and the first American woman to do so since Venus Williams in 1998, WTA reports.

Ranked World No. 42, Stearns is into the first WTA 1000 semifinal of her career, which guarantees her a new career-high ranking in Monday's updated WTA Rankings. It will potentially also garner her a first-ever Grand Slam seeding at Roland Garros.

Stearns will takes on top Italian Jasmine Paolini on Thursday. No. 6 seed Paolini advanced to her first Rome semifinal with a three-set win over No. 13 seed Diana Shnaider on Tuesday.

Paolini is only the fifth Italian woman in the Open Era to reach the final four in Rome -- and the first since doubles partner Sara Errani did it 11 years ago.

“It was really tough match. I’m really happy that I get through. But was a roller coaster. Point by point, point after point, I found a way -- I fought until the end. The crowd, of course, helped me. So I’m really happy with the win," Paolini, who reached her third WTA 1000 semifinal, after Dubai 2024 and Miami 2025, told reporters.

--IANS

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