Bruno Cuaz with AFP / Photo credit: SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP
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6:15 p.m., July 15, 2023
This Saturday, Czech Marketa Vondrousova won the Wimbledon final against Tunisian Ons Jabeur (6-4, 6-4). It is the first Grand Slam tournament for the 42nd player in the world who had reached the Roland-Garros final in 2019 but had won only two matches on grass in her career when arriving at Wimbledon this year.
The Czech Marketa Vondrousova, 42nd in the world, won her first Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon on Saturday by beating Tunisian Ons Jabeur (6th) 6-4, 6-4 in the final. Vondrousova, 24, had reached the French Open final in 2019 but had won just two matches on grass in her career arriving at Wimbledon this year. Jabeur, still in pursuit of a Grand Slam title, lost her third major final after Wimbledon and the US Open last year.
Third Czech to win at Wimbledon
With the victory, Vondrousova will reach a career-high 10th on Monday. Her highest ranking until then was 16th place achieved in 2019. She was the first non-seeded Wimbledon runner-up in the Open era (since 1968) and first since Billie Jean King in 1963. While playing her 21st Grand Slam tournament, Vondrousova became the third Czech to win at Wimbledon after Jana Novotna and Petra Kvitova.
On Saturday, Jabeur started the match perfectly by immediately succeeding in the break to break away 2-0. But she couldn’t keep the advantage, neither this time nor when she led again 4-2. The 28-year-old Tunisian missed the next four games and the set, committing a lot of unforced errors like the one that gave Vondrousova a break point at 4-4: a first smash with little pressure on her opponent followed by a volley forehand high out of bounds.
For the first time in front of the score, the Czech thus served for the set at 5-4. And did not hesitate to conclude on a white game. On her way, Vondrousova managed the break at the start of the second set but under an ovation from the public Jabeur lined up three games (double break) to regain the lead 3-1. Serious but without sparks, Vondrousova came back to 3-3. As in the first set, the two players arrived cahin caha at 4-4 where Jabeur offered the break to Vondrousova who, at 5-4, served this time to win the match. She offered herself three consecutive match points. After spoiling the first on a double fault, she won the second on a volley.