Paolini falls to Rakhimova, fourth Top 5 seed to lose at Wimbledon

Jasmine Paolini, the 2024 finalist, fell to Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set upset at Wimbledon. Paolini is the fourth Top 5 seed to exit early. Rakhimova advances to the third round to face No. 30 seed Linda Noskova.

Defending finalist Jasmine Paolini wasn't able to avoid the upset bug that's come for many of tennis' top players in the first two rounds at Wimbledon.

Wimbledon: Scores | Order of play | Draws

The fourth-seeded Italian was a set up against Kamilla Rakhimova in the second round on Wednesday, but couldn't close the door in what was eventually a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat.

Runner-up to Barbora Krejcikova last year, Paolini is the fourth Top 5 seed to lose in the first two rounds at the All England Club this week. No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 5 Zheng Qinwen all lost in the first round on Tuesday -- and No. 9 seed Paula Badosa was bundled out by Katie Boulter on Monday.

Fifteen of the 32 seeds lost over the first three days in all.

World No. 62 Rakhimova entered the match 0-7 against Top 10 players in her career, and had won just one set in those matches. But she turned the tide in the match by saving four break points in her first service game of the second set when trailing 6-4, 1-0.

She never lost serve in sets two and three, and made a break of Paolini's serve to start the decider stand up until the end of the 2 hour, 19-minute affair.

The 23-year-old moves on to the third round of a Grand Slam event for the third time, having previously done so at the US Open in 2021, and Roland Garros in 2023.

Looking to reach the fourth round of a major for the first time, Rakhimova will next face No. 30 seed Linda Noskova, who also won a three-setter in her own second-round match against German Eva Lys 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. While Noskova reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last year, this is her first time past the second round at Wimbledon.

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