In a semi-final match worthy of the final itself, Italy’s Jasmine Paolini emerged victorious after 2 hours and 51 minutes of play. She beat Donna Vekic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8) to book her place in the Wimbledon final.
Paolini came into Wimbledon off the back of the finals at Roland Garros. And up until she played the first round in London, she hadn’t won a game on grass. Now she is aiming for her first Grand Slam title.
Jasmine has joined the likes of Steffi Graf, Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Venus Williams as the only women this century to reach the singles final at both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon finals in the same year.
“Two Grand Slam finals in a row was crazy to believe,” beamed Paolini.
Paolini had already made history by being the first Italian woman into the Wimbledon semi-final, and now she has taken it a step further. Can she make it to the ultimate prize on Saturday?
In her interviews, Paolini recalled the benchmarks set by her fellow countrywomen Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani.
“I remember the Grand Slam finals that they made. I think it’s really important for the next generation having people that can do great things. They can show you that it’s possible,” said Paolini, the first Italian woman to contest a final at two different majors.
“They (were) inspiring me so much. But I don’t want to compare too much because I’m writing my own story, my own career.”
Errani, who is Paolini’s doubles partner and mentor, was in the player’s box to watch Paolini power her way to victory.
“It was really tough. Today was really, really tough. At the beginning, I was really struggling. She was serving really well. She was making me run every ball,” said Paolini.
“I wasn’t serving well. I was just trying to repeat to myself to keep going, try to be close to her, yeah, just believe that the match can turn whenever… I won the second set, then I won the third. It was a really, really tough match mentally and physically, as well.”
Paolini will be up against Barbora Krejcikova in the Championship match on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a Wimbledon final, so it’s a different kind of match,” she said. “It’s always the same things the goal: to try to serve well (and) today I didn’t. I have to try to return as many balls as possible, and to control the point.
“On the grass, it is tough to defend. So the goal on Saturday will be that one, for sure, in terms of the game (and) the tactic.”
