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Jasmine Paolini edged out a tearful Donna Vekic in a thrilling semi-final to become the first Italian to reach a Wimbledon women’s singles final. In one of the tournament’s best matches, Paolini missed two match points and was 8-7 behind in the 10-point tie-break before recovering to clinch an incredible victory. The match lasted two hours and 51 minutes, making it the longest women’s singles semi-final at Wimbledon, with the Italian winning 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8).
Seventh seed Paolini will now face Czech 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova, who claimed a remarkable 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory against Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion. It means there will be a new name etched into the Venus Rosewater Dish following Saturday’s final.
Paolini, who had never won a match at this tournament before this year, has gained huge popularity with her enthusiasm, bubbly personality, and incredible shot-making skills. “I was serving really bad so I am so happy. This match I will remember forever,” Paolini said. “I was just trying to think about what to do on the court, point by point, because I was really in difficulty.”
Vekic, struggling with an injury to her lower right arm, was seen in tears at the changeover before the tie-break as the match was slipping away from her. “I thought I was going to die in the third set,” said a tearful Vekic in the post-match news conference. “I had so much pain in my arm, in my leg. It was not easy out there, but I will recover.”
Paolini, who lost in the French Open final in May, is the first woman to reach back-to-back Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals since Serena Williams in 2016. “I think these last months have been crazy for me,” she added. “I don’t know, I am just trying to focus on what I have to do on court and enjoying what I am doing.”
Heartbreak for Vekic After Career-Saving Run
Donna Vekic, aiming to reach her first Grand Slam final, stormed through the first set and led 4-3 with a break of serve in the deciding set. However, amid sensational scenes on Centre Court, Paolini managed to get the match back on serve. She failed to convert a match-point chance in the 10th game and then another two games later, leading to a 10-point tie-break. Vekic led 8-7 in the tie-break, but Paolini went ahead and kept her nerve to seal the win.
Just a month ago, Vekic was on the verge of quitting tennis, having struggled with a run of injuries. The world number 37 found a golden run of form that could have rescued her career, with her set to move up 16 places in the rankings.
Krejcikova Stuns Favorite Rybakina
Rybakina had fast become the favorite for the women’s singles title at Wimbledon following a flurry of high-profile exits earlier in the tournament. After Paolini and Vekic played out the longest women’s semi-final at Wimbledon, it looked like Rybakina would make quick work of Thursday’s second match on Centre Court when she raced to a 4-0 lead before snapping up the first set. But Krejcikova struck back in the second and, with the crowd behind her, needed just a single break of serve to take control of the decider.
The 31st seed shot her arms into the air in celebration when fourth seed Rybakina fired long on the first match point. “I am so proud about my game and my fighting spirit today,” Krejcikova said. Asked if she ever believed she would reach a Wimbledon singles final, she said “no, never” before paying tribute to 1998 Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna, who coached Krejcikova before she died in 2017 at the age of 49. “I am fighting for every ball and I am sure that is what she would want me to do,” she added.
Krejcikova, a doubles specialist, has reached a Wimbledon singles final for the first time and her first Grand Slam final since triumphing at the French Open in 2021. It marks a remarkable return to form for the 28-year-old, who had a far-from-perfect build-up to Wimbledon, winning just three matches in the five months before the Championships after struggling with a back injury and illness.
