Seventh seed Jasmine Paolini made history by becoming the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final after a thrilling victory over Croatian Donna Vekic. In the longest women’s semifinal at the prestigious All England Club, Paolini fought back from a set down to win 2-6 6-4 7-6(8). Fans were treated to a nail-biting encounter on Centre Court as both players gave their all in a bid to secure a spot in the final against either Barbora Krejcikova or 2022 champion Elena Rybakina.
Vekic took the opening set comfortably by breaking Paolini twice with her impressive groundstrokes and dropshots proving effective under the sunny sky. However, Paolini, fueled by the support of her compatriots in the crowd, stepped up her game in the second set by being more aggressive and approaching the net more frequently. Her hard work paid off as she managed to break Vekic’s serve to level the match.
The third set saw both players exchanging breaks while accumulating unforced errors, with Vekic appearing fatigued and emotional as the match progressed. Despite being on the brink of defeat, Vekic fought back and saved multiple match points, including an emotional moment where she broke down in tears. Paolini managed to hold a crucial game with the help of a successful challenge that left Vekic visibly upset.
Ultimately, Paolini emerged victorious in the marathon match after nearly three hours of intense gameplay, securing her second successive Grand Slam final appearance following the French Open last month. The Italian’s resilience and determination shone through as she made her mark on the prestigious Wimbledon tournament, solidifying her position as a rising star in women’s tennis. With this historic achievement, Paolini has etched her name in Italian tennis history and will now have the opportunity to compete for the Wimbledon title in the final showdown.
