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Czech 31st seed Barbora Krejčíková will face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon final after battling back for a shock 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over former champion Elena Rybakina on Thursday.
Just hours after Paolini beat tearful Croatian Donna Vekic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) in the longest women’s semi-final at the All England Club, it was Krejčíková’s turn to dig deep for victory against fourth-seeded Rybakina in two hours and seven minutes on Centre Court.
Krejčíková faces seventh seed Paolini on Saturday in what will be the second Grand Slam final of the 28-year-old’s career after her French Open triumph in 2021.
The Czech started 2024 with a run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, but a first round exit at the French Open was a major setback.
She struggled with a back injury and illness, winning just three singles matches in the five months before finally finding her form in remarkable style at Wimbledon.
Krejčíková shocked 11th seed Danielle Collins in the fourth round and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the quarter-finals, before turning her sights on Rybakina.
In her first Wimbledon semi-final, Krejcikova turned the tide in the second set, landing a priceless break in the sixth game. She levelled the match on her sixth set point, making it the first time in 20 years that both Wimbledon women’s semi-finals had gone to the final set.
Paolini had never won a main draw match at Wimbledon before this year, but the world number seven tenaciously saw off Vekic in two hours and 51 minutes to secure a second successive Grand Slam final appearance.
When is the final?
The women’s singles final will be played at the All England Club on Saturday, July 13 at 3 p.m.
What are the points and prize money at stake?
Wimbledon is the third Grand Slam of the season. By making the final, Paolini and Krejčíková have assured themselves 1,300 points and £1,400,000 The winner will earn 2,000 points and £2,700,000.
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