Tennis star breaks up French Open fan fight and punishes both sides in brutal way
After Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani beat Lulu Sun and Yue Yuan at the French Open, the Italian was forced to play peacemaker after the doubles match.
After Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani triumphed over Lulu Sun and Yue Yuan in the second round of French Open doubles, the battle wasn't over for the Italian star. On an emotional day in the French capital with Paris-Saint Germain playing in the Champions League final in Munich, Germany, Paolini found herself playing peacemaker among a pair of quarreling fans after attempting to give her match towel to front-row supporters.
It's become a tradition at tennis matches for the winner to distribute souvenirs to fans who have either sat or moved close to their seat at the center of the court. Fans are often eager to snag a towel, ball, or shirt, but this time, tensions escalated in the crowd when Paolini tossed a towel into a group of spectators.
A tug-of-war ensued between two individuals vying for the keepsake, prompting security to step in and defuse the situation.
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However, before security could calm things down, Paolini stepped in. She snatched the towel back from the dueling fans, then marched off to another section and handed the towel to a different supporter as a form of punishment.
At 29, Paolini is one of the few players still competing in both singles and doubles at the French Open. She and her Italian partner Errani will face off against Beatriz Haddad Maiai and Laura Siegemund on Monday.
She hopes to remain in the singles competition by then, as she's set to play Elina Svitolina in the fourth round the day before, having previously defeated another Ukrainian player, Yuliia Starodubtseva.
After clinching titles in both singles and doubles at the Italian Open, Paolini is eyeing success at Roland Garros, buoyed by her recent victories. "I just came here trying to play a good tournament," Paolini expressed following her win over Ajla Tomijanovic in the second round.
"Of course I played a lot in Rome, but it's a good problem to have. Just thinking about this tournament. What happened in Rome, somehow, for now, I have to forget and try to go good here."
Riding a career-high nine-match winning streak, Paolini has powered through to the second week at Roland Garros, swiftly dispatching lucky loser Starodubtseva in just 69 minutes to secure her spot in the last 16 – marking her fifth time reaching this stage in the past six Grand Slam tournaments.
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The triumph sets the stage for a rematch with Svitolina, whom she previously encountered at the Australian Open.
Despite falling to Svitolina 2-6 6-4 6-0 in their last meeting, Paolini is ready to demonstrate her resilience, especially after an incident involving two disruptive fans during her recent match.
