Paolini takes advantage of Keys' withdrawal to advance to the quarters!

It wasn't the end we'd hoped for. After a match of enormous intensity, Jasmine Paolini finally broke Madison Keys, who suffered an injury just as she was about to win (6-3, 6-7, 5-5 ab.).

Having not won a single match on the main grass-court circuit until 2024, the Italian bluffed her way into the quarter-finals in London.

Paolini got off to a very good start, taking the American by the throat at the start of her match and quickly breaking away to take the lead (6-3). Faced with the reaction of a Keys who had regained her percussion, she gave up nothing, coming back from several games down before finally succumbing in the tie-break of the second set (6-3, 6-7).

Quickly trailing in the final set (5-2), the world No.7 gave up nothing. Covering her court to perfection, she forced Keys to play as many shots as possible. And her fighting spirit paid off, as her opponent finally injured her left thigh and had to withdraw just as she was heading straight for qualification.

Although this was not the outcome she would have wished for, the 28-year-old continues her wonderful season and will challenge the winner of the match between Gauff and Navarro in the quarter-finals.