Paolini aims to cap ‘crazy’ journey with first Grand Slam title
Italy’s Jasmine Paolini aims to crown her remarkable journey with a Grand Slam title as she prepares to face Barbora Krejcikova in the Wimbledon final on Saturday.
Paolini triumphed in the longest women’s singles semi-final in Wimbledon history, defeating Donna Vekic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) in a thrilling two hours and 51 minutes on Centre Court. The 28-year-old is the first Italian woman to reach the final at this prestigious grass-court event.
Czech 31st seed Krejcikova secured her spot in the final by upsetting 2022 champion Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. This marks a significant milestone for Paolini, who had never won a Tour-level match on grass before her recent success in Eastbourne and had not advanced past the second round of a Grand Slam until this year.
2024 has been a breakthrough year for Paolini, who reached her first Grand Slam final at the French Open, only to be defeated by world number one Iga Swiatek. Reflecting on her unexpected rise, Paolini said, “You are crazy, I would say, yes. Yeah, I don’t have words. Just, yeah, you are crazy.”
Paolini, seeded seventh at Wimbledon, acknowledges the pressure of chasing her first Grand Slam title but draws confidence from her resilient comeback against Vekic. She is the first woman to reach back-to-back Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals since Serena Williams in 2016.
Krejcikova, who previously won the French Open in 2021, has overcome a challenging year marked by back injury and illness. Her impressive Wimbledon run included victories over 11th seed Danielle Collins, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, and Rybakina.
Inspired by her late coach Jana Novotna, Krejcikova remarked, “She was telling me a lot of stories about her journeys here and how she was trying to win Wimbledon. I was so far when we had this talk, and now I’m in the final.”
Krejcikova will be aiming to become the sixth Czech woman to win Wimbledon.
(Source: AFP)
