Paolini Grinds Through Melbourne’s Stormy Deuces

As Melbourne’s skies darkened on January 21, 2026, Jasmine Paolini faced more than just Magdalena Frech on the outdoor hard courts. Rain slashed across KIA Arena, halting play and shifting the battle indoors, while 22 deuces stretched a seemingly simple 6-2, 6-3 scoreline into a 1 hour and 47 minute test of will. The No. 7 seed’s advance to the third round came at quarter to midnight, her heavy topspin forehand cutting through the uncertainty like a steady pulse.

Paolini built an early edge, leading 4-1 in the first set when the first downpour forced a lengthy delay, her focus tested as drops pelted the court. Resuming meant recalibrating against Frech’s probing returns, the Italian’s movement allowing her to redirect crosscourt with precision. By the second set, another interruption at double break point sent them to John Cain Arena’s roofed sanctuary, where the ball flew truer without wind’s interference.

Paolini POWER 💣

The no.7 seed through the third round in straight sets.@wwos • @espn • @tntsports • @wowowtennis • #AO26 pic.twitter.com/nXDGVtUPjS

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2026

Rain shifts sharpen tactical edges

The move indoors quickened the pace slightly, favoring Paolini’s flatter inside-in forehands over Frech’s loopy slices, a adjustment that turned potential vulnerabilities into strengths. She leaned on one–two patterns—wide kick serves followed by down-the-line approaches—to escape pressure, saving 11 of 14 break points across the match. Frech disrupted with underspin backhands, but Paolini’s depth neutralized them, her forehand accuracy ebbing yet peaking in key rallies on the Plexicushion surface.

Crowd murmurs built during waits, then erupted as play resumed, feeding Paolini’s rhythm amid the late-night hush. This wasn’t mere survival; it was adaptation under duress, echoing her two major finals where environmental shifts demanded quick pivots. With Scores, Draws, and Order of play guiding the tournament’s flow, Paolini’s resilience positioned her to exploit Melbourne’s grip on the ball.

Deuces forge clutch victories

Nine games dragged to deuce, accounting for over half of the 17 total, each a skirmish where Paolini claimed eight by erasing 15 game points. Her serve-volley touches kept Frech off-balance, the Pole’s aggressive inside-out returns stretching the court but faltering against the Italian’s low slices. At 5-3 in the second set, Paolini broke with a drop shot that drew Frech forward, followed by a backhand pass slicing crosscourt to ignite the remaining fans.

On her second match point, she hammered a forehand for her 20th winner, the thud echoing her relief after the grind. Paolini described the match as having a “little bit of ups and downs,” her forehand fluctuating but delivering in the clutch. This poise, honed through high-stakes draws, transformed deuces from threats into affirmations of her top-10 mettle.

The duel highlighted hard-court nuances: Paolini’s topspin generated angles Frech couldn’t consistently retrieve, while the roof’s closure amplified her point construction. As broadcasts via @wwos, @espn, @tntsports, and @wowowtennis captured the #AO26 drama, Paolini’s endurance stood as a blueprint for navigating variable conditions. Her advance wasn’t flashy, but it rebuilt momentum after a season of close calls.

Draw opens paths to breakthroughs

Marta Kostyuk’s opening-round loss to Elsa Jacquemot guarantees a new Australian Open quarterfinalist in Paolini’s section, where only she and Yulia Putintseva boast prior major QF experience. Next comes No. 29 seed Iva Jovic, the 18-year-old youngest in the Top 100, who routed wild card Priscilla Hon 6-1, 6-2 in 71 minutes. Jovic’s lasso forehand whipped down-the-line on Rod Laver Arena, signaling form from her recent Hobart final, though she seeks revenge for defeats to Paolini at Indian Wells and the US Open last year.

For Paolini, this third-round clash stirs a mix of mentorship and rivalry, her all-court game tested against the teen’s power on these bounce-friendly courts. The schedule’s intensity amplifies the stakes, with potential deep runs reshaping her trajectory. Elsewhere, No. 19 seed Karolina Muchova outlasted Alycia Parks 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in 2 hours and 37 minutes, her slice backhands blunting the American’s 39 winners amid 58 errors.

Muchova, the 2021 semifinalist, seized early leads in sets two and three, holding as Parks saved triple match point and held a break point at 5-5. This grit mirrors Paolini’s, underscoring the tournament’s mental marathons. As Melbourne stabilizes, Paolini’s adjustments position her for clashes that could etch a new chapter in her major pursuit.