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Jasmine Paolini (Source: X)
Jasmine Paolini secured a berth in the 2024 Wimbledon final after defeating Donna Vekic in a gripping contest on Centre Court on Thursday (July 11). A clinical performance from the Italian who staged an incredible comeback to clinch a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(8) victory.
A few days ago, Paolini became the first female tennis player from Italy to reach the semifinals and today she extended the record by qualifying for the ultimate battle. Notably, this is her second consecutive Grand Slam final entry. She had reached the French Open 2024 final, where she lost to World No.1 Iga Swiatek.
Paolini didn't get off to a great start. She lost the opening set 2-6 and twice trailed by a break in the final set. However, the 28-year-old held her nerve in a thrilling match tiebreaker. Notably, the game lasted 2 hours, 51 minutes – the longest women's semifinal in Wimbledon history.
Watch the triumphant moments:
Joy for Jasmine ✨
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 11, 2024
Jasmine Paolini wins an absolute classic on Centre Court, defeating Donna Vekic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(8) to reach the #Wimbledon final pic.twitter.com/c2FC9MzZmY
“I’m so happy with this win. This match, I’ll remember forever,” Paolini said during post-on-court interview.
“I was just trying to think about what to do on the court point by point. There is no place better than here where you have to fight every ball, every point.”
“I really enjoyed playing in front of you guys. For a tennis player, I think this is the best place to play a match like this. Really thank you for cheering for me,” she added.
Paolini became the first woman to reach the Roland Garros Final & Wimbledon Final in the same year since Serena Williams in 2016. She will face the winner of the second semi-final between No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina and No. 31 seed Barbora Krejcikova on Saturday (July 13) on Centre Court.