Barbora Krejčíková defeated Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-2 2-6 6-4 in a dramatic women’s final to win her first Wimbledon title and second grand slam.
The Czech player’s season has been challenging due to injury and a subsequent drop in the global rankings, but all of that was disregarded when she celebrated her win and took in the cheers of the Centre Court spectators.
With her victory, the athlete admitted: “I was telling myself to be brave … It was such a difficult match, such a great final, such a great competition and I enjoyed it so much and I’m super happy that I’m standing here and I can enjoy this moment.”
“I think nobody really believes it. I don’t think anyone will believe that I got to the final and that I won Wimbledon. I still can’t believe it … I am standing here and I am a Wimbledon winner!” she added.
Highlights of the match
The Czech player had the most incredible start possible, breaking Paolini in the opening set and then building on the win. Despite Paolini’s efforts to hold in a massive game that included four deuces, Krejčíková’s relentless attack persisted. Her strong groundstrokes put Paolini under constant strain, causing her to frequently find herself many steps behind the baseline or off the court. Krejčíková showed that she would win easily as she won the opening set in just 35 minutes.
Suddenly, Paolini brought new life to the second set, and the match’s entire dynamic shifted. Using a more aggressive strategy, the Italian broke Krejčíková right away and quickly took a 3-0 lead. The Czech player was under increasing strain as she gave up two consecutive double faults and two more breakpoints, but she was still able to rally herself to take the second set and make a dent in the score.
Paolini’s remarkable movement governed play in the second set, enabling her to win points that appeared lost, while Krejčíková’s strong first serve and groundstrokes had dominated the first.
It was an extremely close match until Krejčíková generated two break points to take the lead at 3-3. After that, she had a championship point and served for the title, but Paolini came back and even had a breakpoint to tie the set. Ultimately, however, Krejčíková’s experience paid off, and she completed an outstanding, challenging victory.
Source: CNN