Barbora Krejcikova wins Wimbledon title for the first time after beating Jasmine Paolini in tense final

CNN
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Barbora Krejcikova won her second Grand Slam title and the first of her career. Wimbledon The former world number one won the Australian Open on Saturday after eventually defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-2 2-6 6-4 in a thrilling women’s final.

The Czech player had a difficult season, struggling with injuries and slipping down the world rankings, but all that was wiped away when she raised her arms to the sky in celebration to the applause of the Centre Court crowd.

Despite initially leading by one set, Krejcikova had to call on all her experience as a seven-time Grand Slam doubles champion and 2021 French Open champion to face Paolini’s strong resistance.

The Italian, who was playing in her second consecutive Grand Slam final, forced a decider and saved two match points before Krejcikova secured victory on her third attempt, sparking emotional celebrations.

She jumped into her penalty area and was surrounded by her team before telling the fans in an on-pitch interview that it was the “best day” of her life.

“I was telling myself to be brave… It was a very tough match, a great final, a great competition and I enjoyed it a lot and I’m very happy that I’m standing here and I can enjoy this moment,” she said.

“I think nobody really believes it. I don’t think anybody would believe that I’ve reached the final and that I’ve won Wimbledon. I still can’t believe it… I’m standing here and I’m the Wimbledon winner!”

By winning Wimbledon, Krejcikova emulated her late coach and mentor Jana Novotna, who won here in 1998 and died of cancer in 2017.

“It was Jana who told me that I had potential and that I should turn professional and try to achieve it,” Krejcikova said. “Before she died, she told me to win a Grand Slam… I never dreamed that I would win the same trophy that Jana won in 1998.”

Before this year, Paolini had never won a match at Wimbledon, but her rapid rise this season was so unsurprising that her presence in the final was not entirely surprising.

Although she made history as the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final, it was ultimately another disappointment for the 28-year-old, coming just a month after she also lost the French Open final.

There, Paolini lost to Iga Swantic in straight sets, and looked in danger of slipping to the same result on Saturday when Krejcikova put in a strong display to control the first set.

The Czech enjoyed the best possible start, breaking Paolini’s serve in the first game before extending that lead to a 0-0 win.

Although Paolini managed to hold off the tide, holding her massive game that included four tiebreakers, Krejcikova’s onslaught continued, her powerful groundstrokes putting pressure on Paolini, who often found herself a few steps off the line or beyond. So when Krejcikova took the first set in just 35 minutes, it looked like she was on her way to a comprehensive victory.

But suddenly, Paolini started the second set with a new dose of energy and the whole complexion of the match changed. Using a more aggressive approach, the Italian immediately broke Krejcikova’s serve and went 3-0 up. With the pressure on the Czech player, she double-faulted twice in a row and surrendered two more break points, but she somehow managed to get back into the match and take the lead on the scoreboard in the second set.

Although Krejcikova’s powerful first serve and groundstrokes dominated the first set, it was Paolini’s exceptional movement that dominated play in the second set, allowing her to stay in the match and win points that seemed lost.

“Seeing this stadium full of fans is a dream come true, playing here at this stage,” said Paolini after the match. “I want to congratulate Barbora, she played unbelievable.”

“I try to keep smiling because I have to remember that today is still a good day. I was watching TV when I was a kid, watching the finals and cheering for Federer. I have to say that being here now is crazy.”

With so much at stake in the third set, both players became more cautious and the match remained on the edge of the abyss until the score reached 3-3 when Krejcikova engineered two break points and converted one of them to take the lead in the set.

Then, she served for the championship and had a set point, but Paolini fought back, even having a break point to level the set. But Krejcikova’s experience proved decisive in the end, and she secured an impressive victory after a hard-fought battle.

This story has been updated with additional developments.