Krejcikova has unexpectedly defeated Rybakina, thereby securing her position in the Wimbledon final against Paolini.


The 31st seed from the Czech Republic, Barbora Krejcikova, will face Jasmine Paolini from Italy in the Wimbledon final. This comes after Krejcikova’s surprising comeback victory over former champion Elena Rybakina on Thursday. The match scores were 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In a remarkable display of athleticism and resilience, Paolini emerged victorious in a grueling three-set battle against Vekic, prevailing with a final score of 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8). This triumph marked the conclusion of the longest women’s semi-final match in the illustrious history of the All England Club. Subsequently, Krejcikova demonstrated her own fortitude and determination, engaging in a fiercely contested match against the formidable fourth-seeded Rybakina. Over the course of two hours and seven minutes on Centre Court, Krejcikova ultimately secured a hard-fought victory.

Krejcikova is scheduled to compete against the seventh seed, Paolini, on Saturday in what will be her second Grand Slam final since her victory at the French Open in 2021.

“I’m so proud about my game and my fighting spirit today,” said Krejcikova.

In the beginning of 2024, the Czech tennis player had a successful run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. However, their performance took a significant downturn in the French Open, resulting in an early exit in the first round.

The athlete faced challenges due to a back injury and illness, resulting in only three singles match victories over a five-month period. However, she demonstrated remarkable resilience and regained her form at the Wimbledon tournament.

Krejcikova surprisingly defeated the 11th seed Ms. Danielle Collins in the fourth round and the former French Open champion Ms. Jelena Ostapenko in the quarter-finals, before setting her sights on Ms. Rybakina.

The esteemed two-time Wimbledon doubles champion is now within reach of an unforeseen victory in the singles tournament.

“Unbelievable. It is very tough to explain, but a lot of joy and a lot of emotions,” Krejcikova said.

“When I broke her in the second set, I started to be in the zone and I didn’t want to leave the zone.”

Rybakina demonstrated exceptional performance, losing only one set and extending her remarkable All England Club record to 19 victories out of 21 matches.

The 25-year-old Wimbledon champion of 2022 demonstrated exceptional proficiency, securing two rapid breaks and establishing an early commanding lead of 4-0 in the opening set against Krejcikova.

During her inaugural Wimbledon semi-final match, Krejcikova managed to reverse the course of the game in the second set by securing a crucial break in the sixth game.

In her sixth set point, she successfully equalized the match, marking a significant milestone as it is the first occurrence in two decades that both Wimbledon women’s semi-finals have advanced to the final set.

The Czech player maintained complete control of the game and ultimately fatigued Rybakina, who had made more than 35 unforced errors before losing her serve in the crucial seventh game of the final set.

“Barbora played very well but I think it’s still a positive tournament for me,” said Rybakina.

 ‘I will remember this Forever’

Paolini had never claimed victory in a main draw match at Wimbledon prior to this year, yet the world number seven resiliently overcame Vekic in two hours and 51 minutes to secure a second consecutive Grand Slam final spot.

The 28-year-old Italian tennis player, who was defeated by Iga Swiatek in the French Open final last month, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final.

Paolini, who also advanced to the round of 16 at the Australian Open in January, had not progressed beyond the second round in any Grand Slam tournament prior to this year.

Currently lacking a victory at the All England Club, Paolini has now secured six consecutive victories, losing only two sets in the process.

“The last months have been crazy for me. It is a dream. I was watching finals when I was a kid on this Wimbledon,” she said.

“You know there is no place better than here to fight for every ball and every point. I will remember this forever.”

Vekic incurred the consequences for making 57 unforced errors, with the semi-final appropriately concluding on another uncontrolled forehand from the unseeded Croatian player.

Vekic displayed emotional distress during the final stages of an intense match due to the loss of significant leads in the last set.

“I was crying because I had so much pain. I didn’t know how I could keep playing,” Vekic said.

“I thought I was going to die in the third set. I had so much pain in my arm, in my leg.”