For Paolini, 2025 has not brought the same level of success as 2024, when she reached two Grand Slam singles finals and won Olympic doubles gold.

In singles, she exited all four Grand Slams before the quarter-final stage, but won the WTA 1000 event in Rome in front of a jubilant home crowd. She and compatriot Sara Errani also triumphed in the women’s doubles at the French Open.

But Paolini has always shone when playing for her country – and this year was no different.

There was little to separate her from world number seven Pegula in a tense opening set but Paolini saved three break points at 4-4 before sealing the set two games later.

Pegula threatened a comeback in set two as she broke the Italian in the opening game but from there the error count crept up, and her frustrations bubbled over into racquet smashing and berating herself between points.

Paolini raced through the second set and looked like she would have the title settled as she served for the match at 5-1 but Pegula saved three match points to continue the contest.

But the former Wimbledon and French Open runner-up sealed victory in the next game to make it four wins in four matches this week in Shenzhen.