Like a literary analysis, grouping players by their country can yield the kind of parallels that feel almost thematic in nature. What are the Russian women if not powerfully fragile baseliners with big backhands? Who thinks of the French contingent without admiring the quirky uniqueness that they each bring to the game?

The Italians have been equally easy to categorize over the years. The women who have risen to prominence from the Mediterranean peninsula will not overwhelm you with their ground games but rather rely on a mix of spins, flair and heart to carry them over the finish line. Among the Italian elite, you will find a strong assortment of veterans and late-bloomers, certainly none who carried any hype as they transitioned from juniors to seniors. Instead, they spent years paying their dues at lower-level WTA events before suddenly breaking through, hitting a vein of form no one knew existed. 

As Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta (now Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci) grew in rank and prestige, the question of Italian tennis’ future was never far behind. With three Italians reaching the top 10 and Schiavone’s 2010 French Open triumph, it seemed only a matter of time before a younger crop of Italians, inspired by these achievements, would begin making their way in similar fashion.

Who, then, could feel like a greater backlash to this historical precedent than the fast-rising dynamo, Camila Giorgi? A name long floated through the tennis in-crowd, Giorgi has been considered to be among the most talented of her generation. Her own father is the first to sing her praises, considering her worthy of the WTA’s top five when she was only a teenager. Like her predecessors, Giorgi is petite, also lacking a sense of physical intimidation at a mere 5’6”.

The similarities end there.

Stalking the back of the court with an almost regal air, the 21-year-old Italian plays tennis the way that Princess Peach wields a frying pan. She makes up for an apparent lack of craft and variety with a shot-making wattage that can light up an entire stadium. Seemingly unaware of the score at all times, Giorgi treats each point as if it were a fearless sprint across a burning tightrope, one that can take her to a searing winner or drop her into a shot that flies into the back fence.

Coming into the third round of the US Open as a qualifier, the young Italian took on former finalist Caroline Wozniacki. Headlining the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Giorgi combined the memories of a strong major result (having made the last 16 at last year’s Wimbledon) with the match-toughness that five matches in 10 days will give a player recovering from a shoulder injury and languishing outside the top 100. For the spectator, the contrast in styles could not have been greater. While Giorgi takes aggression to its logical extreme, the Dane does the same for the opposing pole. Trying her best to absorb the Italian’s heavy pace and rely on wild errors from the youngster, the former No. 1 found herself within two games of only her second fourth round at a major of 2013.

But despite Giorgi’s alleged “brainless ball bashing,” she has made as many (if not more) as she has missed in Flushing. With few winners from Wozniacki to tip the balance, keeping her stat sheet balanced was all that the Italian needed to even the contest and race to a 5-2 lead in the final set.

Serving for the match, the underdog exhibited incredible mettle against a player once known for her own steely disposition. Showing unflappable heart as she took on one last bone-crushing forehand at match point, Giorgi proved that she might share more in common with her countrywomen than one may think. Above all, what made Italy such a powerhouse in the last decade came from the determination of its players. Lacking more obvious weapons, success came to the Italian women when they refused to shy away from tight situations and to instead dig in with all they had to seize the moment.

Blending her electric ground game with passionate performance ability, Camila Giorgi is a perfect addition to the already-capable Italian squad. Against compatriot Roberta Vinci for a spot in the quarterfinals, it will be another contrast in style, but hardly a contrast in spirit.