'Picture of the year': Paolini Halloween 'mask' goes viral

NEW YORK -- It was the perfect shot at the perfect time.

Of all the hundreds of thousands of tennis photos snapped year after year, there may have never been one quite like this.

On Wednesday evening in Louis Armstrong Stadium, Italian photographer Ray Giubilo caught a once-in-a-lifetime image of seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini with her racquet in front of her face, like a mask, her eyes and mouth perfectly visible through the strings.

"Maybe the picture of the year," the ever-bubbly Paolini said in her on-court interview after dispatching 17-year-old Iva Jovic in straight sets to advance to the third round of the US Open. "Yes, it's a Halloween one. You have to watch, guys. I will post that tonight."

She kept her word, posting the AI-like photo (we promise it's real, and was taken by a human with a camera) on Instagram after the match.

And yes, to echo what the Italian World No. 4 said after her win, this is a fantastic Halloween costume. (It's never too early to start thinking about what, or who, to dress up as ... and it will actually be here before you know it.) Just bring your racquet, hold it up to your face, and voila, done.

Paolini certainly looked the part of a US Open contender on Wednesday, breaking Jovic’s serve five times in the 1 hour and 26 minute match. The American had her on her heels throughout the match, but Paolini stood her ground in saving nine of 11 break points.

The two-time Grand Slam finalist is into the third round in Flushing Meadows for the second straight year -- she made the fourth round last year, her best-ever result at this tournament -- and will face former Wimbledon champion Marketa Voundrousova on Friday. They've met once before, way back in 2017, with the Czech topping the Italian in straight sets in a qualifying match in Biel, Switzerland. (The environment for this match will be a little bit different...).  

Hopefully Giubilo will have camera in hand for that one.