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Today at the 2020 Palermo Ladies Open, wildcard entrant Jasmine Paolini will be looking to back up her shock opening round upset over former World No. 10 Daria Kasatkina. Paolini will step on to Centre Court for her second round match with plenty of confidence, and also plenty of support from the home fans.
The Italian showcased her best tennis against Kasatkina, punching a slew of winners off her forehand to eke out a tight-three setter. She now faces 119th-ranked Aliaksandra Sasnovich for a place in the quarterfinals.
Sasnovich herself had a statement win against fifth seed Elise Mertens. The Belarusian produced a dominant display as she dispatched Mertens 6-4, 6-1.
The one-sided result was perhaps even more surprising than Paolini's win, as Mertens is a former Slam semifinalist who's had some good results over the past couple of years. But that was no problem for Sasnovich, who needed only 83 minutes to wrap up the win.
After that much-needed confidence booster, the Belarusian is now well-placed for a deep run in the tournament. Having come through the qualifiers, Sasnovich has the most match practice among the players left in the draw. And that could very well give her a distinct edge given that everyone is coming off a long break.
Sasnovich is a consistent player and handles her own game well, irrespective of the opponent. Her composure and control were evident in her match against the struggling Mertens, as she successfully managed to defuse the power of the Belgian.
Jasmine Paolini vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich head-to-head
This is the first meeting between Paolini and Sasnovich, and there's little that the two have in common. Their games are quite different; Paolini relies heavily on her forehand to win points, while Sasnovich has a more well-rounded game.
The Belarusian will definitely be the one looking to mix things up and make use of her guile to keep her opponent guessing. But if Paolini starts connecting on her groundstrokes, especially on that forehand side, it would be difficult for Sasnovich to stay in the rallies.
Jasmine Paolini vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich match prediction
Going by their performances this past week, it looks like Sasnovich has found her form on the red clay of Palermo. If she can find a way to keep Paolini away from the baseline and take time away from her, there is no reason why she can't make it to the next round.
That said, the longer the match goes, the more comfortable Paolini will get. And with the home fans firmly backing her, the Italian could well run away with another come-from-behind win here.
Prediction: Paolini to win in three sets
