Ningbo: American teenager Iva Jovic made a strong start to her Ningbo Open debut as she defeated two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini in the round of 16 at Centre Court here on Thursday.
Jovic, seeded fourth, received a bye in the first round and recovered from 1-3 down in the first set to beat Paolini 6-4, 6-3 and march into the quarterfinals.
The 18-year-old Jovic was broken early and trailed 1-3 in the opening set. However, she recovered from the slow start to break Paolini in the fifth and ninth games and win the opening set.
The Italian struggled with her serve in the second set as well, with Jovic breaking her four times. The 18-year-old American also lost her serve twice but managed to win the second set to seal a straight-sets victory.
The win levels Jovic’s head-to-head record against Paolini at 2-2. It was also her second consecutive win over the Italian, having beaten her at the Australian Open earlier this year.
The American has now reached her seventh quarterfinal of the season and has advanced to the semifinals in five of her previous six appearances in the last eight.
Jovic has now recorded her 20th win over a top-50 opponent, with Paolini ranked No. 35. This is also her 42nd tour-level win of the year, making it her most successful season yet.
She will next face either Alexandra Eala or French Open semifinalist Diana Shnaider. Jovic has an unbeaten record against both players, leading Eala 3-0 in their head-to-head encounters and Shnaider 1-0.
Jovic has been in good form this season. She successfully defended her Guadalajara Open title last month, having also won it in 2025. She also enjoyed a breakthrough run at the US Open, reaching the fourth round for the first time.