Paolini Battles Past Shnaider at Italian Open, Alcaraz Sets Up Draper Clash

Jasmine Paolini of Italy celebrates after winning against Diana Shnaider of Russia in their women’s singles quarter final round match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 13 May 2025. EPA/FABIO FRUSTACI
Jasmine Paolini of Italy celebrates after winning against Diana Shnaider of Russia in their women’s singles quarter final round match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 13 May 2025. EPA/FABIO FRUSTACI
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Paolini Battles Past Shnaider at Italian Open, Alcaraz Sets Up Draper Clash

Jasmine Paolini of Italy celebrates after winning against Diana Shnaider of Russia in their women’s singles quarter final round match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 13 May 2025. EPA/FABIO FRUSTACI
Jasmine Paolini of Italy celebrates after winning against Diana Shnaider of Russia in their women’s singles quarter final round match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 13 May 2025. EPA/FABIO FRUSTACI

Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman to reach the Italian Open semi-finals since 2014 when she beat Russian world number 11 Diana Shnaider 6-7(1) 6-4 6-2 on Tuesday.

In a stunning first-set collapse, Paolini was 4-0 up but lost the next five games before Shnaider then forced a tiebreak, which the 21-year-old Russian dominated.

Backed into a corner, world number five Paolini mounted a comeback of her own in the second set, winning six successive games after trailing 4-0.

Down a break in the decider, French Open runner-up Paolini continued to show resilience with the crowd behind her to become the first Italian woman to reach the last four of the WTA 1000 event since doubles partner Sara Errani just over a decade ago.

Paolini, who reached the last four in Rome for the first time, will face Peyton Stearns for a spot in the final after the American knocked out Elina Svitolina 6-2 4-6 7-6(4), Reuters reported.

In the men's draw, world number one Jannik Sinner overcame Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(2) 6-3 to extend his winning streak to 24 matches, which started in October last year.

The 23-year-old continued his run of reaching the quarter-finals at every event played since the start of 2024.

Fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti, seeded eighth, powered to a 7-5 6-4 win against Daniil Medvedev to set up a quarter-final clash with defending champion Alexander Zverev, after the German second seed beat Frenchman Arthur Fils 7-6(3) 6-1.

Earlier on Tuesday, four-times Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a second set blip to beat world number 24 Karen Khachanov 6-3 2-6 7-5 and reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

The third seed will next face Britain's world number five Jack Draper, who rallied from a set down to beat Frenchman Corentin Moutet 1-6 6-4 6-3.

Former Australian Open and US Open semi-finalist Khachanov started well and took a 3-1 lead before Alcaraz responded swiftly to level things up, making it 3-3 and sweeping the next three games to close out the opening set.

Despite being 3-2 down in the second set, Khachanov forced a decider — the first time the 28-year-old Russian had taken a set off Alcaraz in four meetings.

The Spaniard saw his lead slip away again after being up 4-1 in the third as Khachanov clawed his way back to draw level at 4-4, threatening an upset.

However, the 22-year-old Alcaraz steadied himself just in time, breaking Khachanov in the 12th game to clinch victory in two hours and 29 minutes.

"It feels amazing to get the win at the end against a really big and really tough guy like Khachanov," Alcaraz said.

"Physically I struggled a bit. Not any pain on any part of the body, but I was just tired. The match was really tough. I had to run a lot, so I'm just really proud of the way I fought for every ball."



'World's Oldest Marathon Runner' Dies Aged 114 in Road Accident

 (FILES) Indian-born British national Fauja Singh (C) waves a Hong Kong flag after crossing the finish line in the 10-km event as part of the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24, 2013. (Photo by Dale DE LA REY / AFP)
(FILES) Indian-born British national Fauja Singh (C) waves a Hong Kong flag after crossing the finish line in the 10-km event as part of the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24, 2013. (Photo by Dale DE LA REY / AFP)
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'World's Oldest Marathon Runner' Dies Aged 114 in Road Accident

 (FILES) Indian-born British national Fauja Singh (C) waves a Hong Kong flag after crossing the finish line in the 10-km event as part of the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24, 2013. (Photo by Dale DE LA REY / AFP)
(FILES) Indian-born British national Fauja Singh (C) waves a Hong Kong flag after crossing the finish line in the 10-km event as part of the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24, 2013. (Photo by Dale DE LA REY / AFP)

India's Fauja Singh, believed to be the world's oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident aged 114, his biographer said Tuesday.

Singh, an Indian-born British national, nicknamed the "Turbaned Tornado", died after being hit by a vehicle in Punjab state's Jalandhar district on Monday, AFP reported.

"My Turbaned Tornado is no more," Fauja's biographer Khushwant Singh wrote on X.

"He was struck by an unidentified vehicle... in his village, Bias, while crossing the road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja."

Singh did not have a birth certificate but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911.

He ran full marathons (42 kilometer) till the age of 100.

His last race was a 10-kilometer (six-mile) event at the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon when 101, where he finished in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.

He became an international sensation after taking up distance running at the ripe old age of 89, after the death of his wife and one of his sons, inspired by seeing marathons on television.

Although widely regarded as the world's oldest marathon runner, he was not certified by Guinness World Records as he could not prove his age, saying that birth certificates did not exist when he was born under British colonial rule in 2011.

Singh was a torchbearer for the Olympics at Athens 2004 and London 2012, and appeared in advertisements with sports stars such as David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.

His strength and vitality were credited to a routine of farm walks and a diet including Indian sweet "laddu" packed with dry fruits and home-churned curd.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute on social media.

"Fauja Singh was extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness," said Modi on X.

"He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world."