"That was one of the toughest matches I've ever played," says Paolini after beating Bencic in Ningbo

Jasmine Paolini narrowly defeated Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals in Ningbo.

Paolini is now just one win away from securing a spot in the WTA Finals for the second consecutive season. However, the Italian had to battle hard to eliminate Belinda Bencic after nearly 3 hours and 30 minutes of play (5-7, 7-5, 6-3).

On court after her victory and before facing Elena Rybakina this Saturday for a spot in the final, the world No. 8 player discussed the match she had just won against the Swiss player.

"Honestly, it was one of the most difficult matches I've ever played. Belinda (Bencic) plays incredibly. She's an extraordinary player and a wonderful person. She also deserved to win.

It was a very tough match. I'm happy I held strong. At the beginning, I made too many mistakes. I couldn't find my best tennis. I tried to stay in the match point by point and turn things around somehow. I'm happy I managed to do it," Paolini told The Tennis Letter.