Vekic still cries during the match
Paolini wins epic Wimbledon semi-final
11.07.2024, 18:17
In the Wimbledon semi-finals, the Italian Jasmine Paolini is behind several times, but fights her way into the final. It is her second chance to win her first Grand Slam title. Her opponent Donna Vekic loses control of her emotions even before the end of the match.
Next title chance for late bloomer Jasmine Paolini: Shortly after her defeat in the final at the French Open, the Italian has also reached the final at Wimbledon. With fighting spirit and strong nerves, the 28-year-old prevailed in the semifinals of the grass court classic on Thursday 2:6, 6:4, 7:6 (10:8) against Donna Vekic from Croatia, who was already in tears before the end of the match.
After 2 hours and 51 minutes, Paolini converted her third match point – it was the longest women’s semi-final at Wimbledon. “I will always remember this match,” said Paolini: “It was really difficult, a rollercoaster of emotions. The last few months have been crazy for me, I’m enjoying the moment.” In her home country, which is currently spoiled for success in tennis, Paolini is increasingly becoming a star player. “Jasmine, you are wonderful,” wrote the “Gazzetta dello Sport”. The “Tuttosport” even described her as “legendary”.
On a sunny afternoon after rainy days at Wimbledon, Vekic initially dominated with her powerful game. In front of around 15,000 spectators on Centre Court, she won the first set in her first Grand Slam semi-final with two breaks to make it 3:2 and 5:2. Vekic, who was thinking about taking a break from tennis just before the French Open, was unable to capitalise on the advantage of winning the first set or her lead in the third set. The 1.63-metre-tall Italian fought back again and again and had a match point at 5:4 and 6:5. But it was only in the tiebreak that she was able to assert herself.
Paolini, who will crack the top 5 in the world rankings after the tournament, will face Kazakhstan’s Jelena Rybakina or Czech Barbora Krejcikova in the final on Saturday, who will play the second duel of the semifinals on Thursday. She is aiming to become the third player from her country to win a major title after Francesca Schiavone (Paris/2010) and Flavia Pennetta (New York/2015).
Vekic was denied the chance of a major coup even on her 43rd attempt. In the era of professional tennis since 1968, only three players have participated in majors more often and then reached a final at the highest level for the first time. Paolini also had to wait a long time. Before this year, the athlete from Tuscany had never made it past the second round in 16 appearances on the Grand Slam stage. That changed when she reached the round of 16 in Melbourne, followed by her final at Roland Garros, which she lost to Iga Swiatek. Now she has another chance of a major triumph.