In a historic moment for Italian tennis, Jasmine Paolini has become the first Italian to reach the Wimbledon final after defeating Croatia’s Donna Vekic in a thrilling semifinal match on Thursday, July 11th. The 28-year-old Italian, currently ranked 7th in the world, showcased remarkable resilience and determination as she came back from a set down to win 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8).The match, which lasted 2 hours and 51 minutes, is now the longest women’s semifinal in Wimbledon history. Paolini, who had never won a main draw match at Wimbledon before this year, found herself trailing 0-2 in the decisive third set before mounting an impressive comeback.After her victory, an elated Paolini expressed, ‘I made a tremendous effort, but I kept telling myself to fight for every ball: I’m incredibly happy, I’ll remember this match forever’. This achievement marks Paolini’s second consecutive Grand Slam final appearance, following her runner-up finish at Roland Garros in June.Paolini’s remarkable run at Wimbledon is particularly noteworthy given her previous grass-court record. Prior to this tournament, she had never won a grass-court tournament and held a 0-3 record at Wimbledon. Her coach, Sara Errani, praised her performance, noting that Paolini is playing at a high level and is confident in her abilities.The Italian star will face either Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan or Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic in the final, scheduled for Saturday, July 13th at 2 PM on Centre Court. Paolini’s success at Wimbledon, coupled with her Roland Garros final appearance, makes her the first player since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the finals of both tournaments in the same season.
Key points
- Jasmine Paolini becomes the first Italian to reach the Wimbledon final.
- Paolini defeated Donna Vekic in the longest women’s semifinal in Wimbledon history, lasting 2 hours and 51 minutes.
- This marks Paolini’s second consecutive Grand Slam final appearance, following her Roland Garros final in June.
- Paolini is the first player since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach both Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals in the same season.
Contradictions👾One source states that Paolini will face Keys in the final, while multiple other sources indicate that her opponent will be either Elena Rybakina or Barbora Krejcikova.
