Fabulous Jasmine Paolini. The 28-year-old from Tuscany is in the final at Wimboledon after a battle lasting more than two and a half hours, winning against the Croatian Donna Vekic with a score of 2-6 6-4 7-6(10) on the fourth match point after having saved two of her opponent’s. A deserved victory at the end of the longest semifinal in the history of the tournament. “I kept telling myself to fight point after point,” she said at the end, “it’s beautiful to play here, for a tennis player it’s the most beautiful place to play. A crazy situation,” said the champion, the first finalist at Roland Garros and Wimbledon after Serena Williams, “a fantastic match and now I’m going to go to the ice bath.”
First uphill set for the 28-year-old world no. 5 against a solid and very powerful opponent, with an exceptional serve for the circuit and deep and precise shots. And so the Croatian with two breaks and no problems in service easily won the first set. In the second, Paolini’s determination prevailed over power.
The Italian player didn’t make any more mistakes and managed to save several break points and take home the set, breaking her opponent’s serve at the last moment and winning the set 6-4. In the third set, the front changed several times, with the Croatian leading by a break, then recovering and taking the lead again. Then recovering again and, at 5-4 for Paolini, forced to cancel a match point. At 5-5, Jasmine canceled some break points that felt like match points. However, Vekic cancelled that one at 6-5 for the Italian player. At the tie break, Paolini got her third match point, cancelled again by Vekic who, in turn, earned a couple without capitalising on her advantage.
Up to match point no. 4 at 9-8 for Paolini who manages to make the decisive mini-break and take home the match. Thus becoming the first tennis player after three former world no. 1s, Venus and Serena Williams and Justine Henin, to reach the finals in Paris and London in the same year. The first set was uphill for the 28-year-old world no. 5 against a solid and very powerful opponent, with an exceptional serve for the circuit and deep and precise shots. And so the Croatian with two breaks and no problems in serving easily won the first set. In the second, Paolini’s determination prevailed over power.
The Italian player didn’t make any more mistakes and managed to save several break points and take home the set, breaking her opponent’s serve at the last moment and winning the set 6-4. In the third set, the front changed several times, with the Croatian leading by a break, then recovering and taking the lead again. Then recovering again and, at 5-4 for Paolini, forced to cancel a match point. At 5-5, Jasmine canceled some break points that felt like match points. However, Vekic cancelled that one at 6-5 for the Italian player. At the tie break, the third match point for Paolini arrives, cancelled again by Vekic who, in turn, gets a couple without capitalising on the advantage.
Up to match point no. 4 at 9-8 for Paolini who manages to make the decisive mini-break and take home the match. Thus becoming the first tennis player after three former world no. 1s, Venus and Serena Williams and Justine Henin, to reach the finals in Paris and London in the same year.