The six oldest first-time female Grand Slam winners of the Open Era: Can Jasmine Paolini become No 7?

Few Grand Slam finalists have been quite as surprising as Jasmine Paolini.

The Italian has improved massively over the past 12 months and now the 12th seed finds herself in the French Open final, looking to down Iga Swiatek and take the title.

Having turned 28 at the beginning of the year, Paolini is certainly a late-bloomer.

And, should she prevail, only six women in the Open Era would have won their first Slam at an older age.

6) Marion Bartoli, 2013 Wimbledon – 28 years, 277 days

Six years after losing the final to Venus Williams, Bartoli memorably stormed to her first and only Slam without dropping a set at the All England Club in 2013.

After beating Sloane Stephens in the last eight and Kirsten Flipkens, 15th seed Bartoli eased past pre-match favourite Sabine Lisicki to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish.

The Frenchwoman was just shy of her 29th birthday at the time, and retired just a few weeks later.

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5) Li Na – 2011 French Open – 29 years, 98 days

A sporting trailblazer, late-bloomer Na won the first of her two Grand Slam titles a few months after celebrating her 29th birthday.

Having lost the Australian Open final earlier in 2011, the Chinese star beat Victoria Azarenka in the French Open quarter-finals, before beating Maria Sharapova in the semi-final.

Up against reigning champion Francesca Schiavone (more on her shortly), the former world No 2 prevailed in straight sets to claim the title; she would ultimately also win the Australian Open in 2014.

4) Kerry Reid, 1977 Australian Open (Jan) – 29 years, 154 days

Competing a time of huge WTA strength and depth – particularly within Australian tennis – Reid won her first and only major singles title at her home Slam, in the first of two tournaments in 1997.

The 29-year-old was the second seed at the tournament and after beating Helen Gourlay in a three-set semi-final, she saw off top seed Dianne Fromholtz in straight sets in the final.

It was third time lucky for Reid, who had previously been beaten in the 1970 Australian Open and 1972 US Open finals.

3) Jana Novotna, 1998 Wimbledon – 29 years, 275 days

One of the most memorable Wimbledon champions of all time, the late, great Novotna captured her sole singles major at the All England Club in 1998.

After heartbreaking Wimbledon final losses in 1993 and 1997 – and a loss in the 1991 Australian Open final – the Czech star beat Martina Hingis, who she lost to the previous year, to return to the final.

With the crowd behind her, Novotna downed Nathalie Tauziat in straight sets to finally claim the title that had so long eluded her – just before her 30th birthday.

2) Francesca Schiavone, 2010 French Open – 29 years, 346 days

Schiavone stunned the tennis world with her surprise Roland Garros win 14 years ago, with the 17th seed upsetting the odds to win her sole major.

The Italian eased past third seed Caroline Wozniacki in their last eight clash, before progressing to the final after the retirement of semi-final opponent Elena Dementieva.

And, less than three weeks short of her 30th birthday, she beat Sam Stosur in straight sets to claim the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.

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1) Flavia Pennetta, 2015 US Open – 33 years, 199 days

Clear at the top of this list is Pennetta, who was 33 when she claimed the US Open title in a surprise final against compatriot Roberta Vinci.

After battling past Petra Kvitova in the quarter-final, she easily beat second seed Simona Halep to progress to her first Grand Slam singles final.

She then also beat Vinci in straight sets to lift the title and, similarly to Bartoli, retired shortly afterwards.