Wimbledon 2024: 'Best day of my life' - Barbora Krejcikova crowned champion after beating Jasmine Paolini in three sets
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Updated 14/07/2024 at 07:13 GMT
Barbora Krejcikova is the Wimbledon ladies' singles champion after the 31st seed earned an impressive 6-2 2-6 6-4 win over Jasmine Paolini to claim the title for the first time. Krejcikova's second career major arrives three years after her first at the French Open as she edged a hard-fought deciding set to consign the Italian to a second Grand Slam final defeat in a row.
Wimbledon day 13 highlights: Krejcikova beats Paolini for first SW19 title
Barbora Krejcikova claimed her first Wimbledon title and second major by battling past Jasmine Paolini in three sets to win the ladies’ singles final.
The 28-year-old from the Czech Republic added to her 2021 French Open title by beating the Italian 6-2 2-6 6-4 on Centre Court.
Krejcikova dominated the opening set with some ferocious serving before Paolini roared back in the second.
But the former world No. 2 held her nerve in a closely contested decider to claim what she called the best win of her career.
"It’s unreal what just happened," Krejcikova said. "It’s definitely the best day of my tennis career and also the best day of my life. It’s super difficult to explain what I’m feeling right now.
“I think nobody is going to believe it. I still cannot believe it. Two weeks ago when I started here, I had a very tough first match, three hours and 15 minutes, winning 7-5 in the third set.
“I wasn’t really in good shape before that because I was injured and ill, I didn’t really have a good beginning of the season.
"It’s unbelievable now I’m standing here and I’m a Wimbledon winner. How did that happen? I have no idea.”
It was heartbreak for Italy's Paolini, who suffered a second successive major final defeat following her loss to Iga Swiatek at the French Open last month.
But the 28-year-old still made history as the first Italian to reach the women's singles final, while she will rise to a career-high No. 5 in the WTA rankings on Monday after a stellar summer.
"The last two months have been crazy for me and I want to thank my team, my family, everybody who is there because they always support me and believe me. Without them, I wouldn’t be here," Paolini said.
“I try to keep smiling because I have to remember that today is still a good day. I was watching Wimbledon on TV as a kid, watching the finals and cheering for Roger Federer, I have to say.
"To be here right now is crazy. I think I enjoyed every moment here, it’s been a beautiful two weeks.”
Krejcikova, who will jump up 22 places in the rankings from 32nd to 10th, also paid tribute to her former friend and mentor Jana Novotna.
The 1998 Wimbledon champion died from cancer aged 49 in 2017 and was instrumental in launching Krejcikova's tennis career when she was still a child.
“Knocking on her door, giving her the letter, everything that happened changed my life," Krejcikova said. "During the period when I finished juniors, I didn’t know what I should do, if I should continue and play pro, if I should go the way of education. Jana was the one who told me that I had the potential and that I should definitely turn pro.
“Before she passed away, she told me to go and win a Slam. I achieved that already in Paris in 2021. It was an unbelievable moment for me, and I never really dreamed that I would win the same trophy that Jana did in 1998.”
The tone was set for a Krejcikova-dominated opening set when the Czech immediately earned two break points in the opening game and took the first with a swatted cross-court forehand winner.
Paolini managed to fend off the chance for a double break with a sublime drop shot and survived a second break point to get on the board, but her resistance did not last long as Krejcikova sealed the double-break for a 4-1 lead when a backhand from the Italian flew into the net.
The seventh seed could not make any headway against the former French Open champion’s serve, failing to earn a single break point as the Czech kept 90% of her first serves in, winning 84% of those points, to deny Paolini a single break opportunity in the opener.
A love hold for Krejcikova was a fitting way to end a one-sided first set, and Paolini quickly headed for a bathroom break to take a few minutes to try and plot a route back into the match.
Whatever Paolini said to herself in the mirror clearly paid off, as the Roland-Garros runner-up bounced back onto court full of energy and quickly rattled off three games in a row, holding twice either side of her first break of the match for a 3-0 lead.
Krejcikova squandered two break chances in Paolini’s second service game and then had to fight off a couple as the Italian chased a double break to no avail, a string of unforced errors costing her.
After a steady hold, Paolini sealed the second break at the opportune moment, a good challenge earning her double break point before Krejcikova steered a forehand wide and headed off for a bathroom break of her own.
After one dominant set apiece, a decider was required, and it proved to be the tightest and nerviest of the match as neither player budged on serve.
The decisive moment arrived when Paolini double-faulted on break point to go 4-3 down and put the Czech two games from victory.
A hold apiece left Krejcikova serving for the title, and the most thrilling game of the set soon unfolded.
Krejcikova saved two break points and Paolini saw off two championship points before an epic game was finally settled when a huge serve proved too hot to handle and sealed a memorable maiden SW19 triumph.
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Krejcikova
Image credit: Getty Images
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