FLUSHING MEADOWS, Aug. 29, 2025 (AP)

Italy’s No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini was upset Friday in the third round of the U.S. Open, falling 7-6(4), 6-1 to Czech qualifier Markéta Vondroušová on Grandstand Court. Paolini, who entered the tournament riding a career-high world ranking of No. 4 and fresh off a Cincinnati final appearance, fought back from 5-3 down in the first-set tiebreak but was unable to gain further traction as Vondroušová took control in the second set.

Paolini, known for her heavy groundstrokes and consistent serving, generated just one break-point opportunity in the match and converted none. Vondroušová, by contrast, cashed in on two of her five break points and mixed pace and angles to force errors from the Italian. The loss ends Paolini’s bid to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time in her career.

“I tried to stay aggressive, but she played very well,” Paolini said. “I’ll take a lot of positives from the match and keep working on my game.”

Vondroušová, who claimed the Wimbledon title in 2023, advances to a fourth-round meeting with American Jessica Pegula.