Paolini trails several times in the Wimbledon semi-finals, but fights her way into the final. She has a second chance to win her first Grand Slam title – against another surprise finalist
Wimbledon has a first-time winner: After the longest women’s semi-final in tournament history and a surprise, Jasmine Paolini plays Czech Barbora Krejcikova in the final. Paolini narrowly defeated a tearful Donna Vekic from Croatia 2:6, 6:4, 7:6 (10:8) in a hard-fought duel that was thrilling to the end over 2:51 hours.
The former French Open winner Krejcikova then unexpectedly prevailed 3:6, 6:3, 6:4 against Kazakhstan’s Yelena Rybakina. Rybakina, ranked fourth in the world, had triumphed in south-west London in 2022 and was considered the favorite after convincing performances in the past.
Paolini and Krejcikova will play their first final at the prestigious grass court tournament on Saturday. However, Krejcikova is already a two-time Wimbledon winner in doubles. “It’s unbelievable,” said Krejcikova: “It’s very difficult to explain what I’m feeling right now. I’m so proud of my game and my fighting spirit. “
Paolini like Williams last time
Paolini became the first tennis player since US star Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the Wimbledon final just a few weeks after the French Open final. The nimble, 1.63-meter-tall Paolini fought back again and again after trailing in the deciding set and had a match point at 5:4 and 6:5. She held her nerve in the tie-break and became the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final in the Open era since 1968.
“Crazy “
“I will always remember this match. The last few months have been crazy for me,” said Paolini, who had also previously been the first Italian Wimbledon semi-finalist, after a “rollercoaster ride of emotions”: “It’s a dream.”
Paolini’s path to the top of the world rankings is impressive. Before this season, she had never made it past the second round at any Grand Slam tournament. At Wimbledon, she had not won a main draw match in three attempts.
Vekic, who was thinking about taking a break from tennis just before the French Open, was in tears during the match. At the press conference afterwards, the 28-year-old had to suppress her tears. “I was in so much pain in my arm and my leg,” she said after her first Grand Slam semi-final: “I cried more because I was in so much pain that I didn’t know how to continue playing. “