Jasmine Paolini secured her spot in her second consecutive Grand Slam final after a hard-fought 2-6 6-4 7-6(8) victory over Donna Vekic in the longest ladies’ singles semifinal in Wimbledon history.
Vekic dominated the first set in her first major semifinal, not facing a single break point. However, she missed three break point opportunities in the second set, allowing Paolini to make a comeback. Paolini took advantage, winning two consecutive games from 4-4 and converting her first set point to even the match.
The deciding set was a fierce battle. Vekic took a 2-0 lead and had a break point to go up 3-0, but Paolini fought back and leveled the score at 3-3. The set remained close, with both players exchanging breaks for a 4-4 tie.
Paolini had her first match point at 5-4, but Vekic saved it, along with another, in a tense series of games that led to a tiebreak—a fitting end to this exciting semifinal. The tiebreak was incredibly tight, with Paolini managing to win two consecutive points at 8-8 to secure the victory.
The 28-year-old Italian, who has Polish and Ghanaian heritage, has now made it to her second consecutive Grand Slam final, following her runner-up finish at Roland Garros last month to Iga Swiatek.
Paolini will now wait to face either 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina or 2021 Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova in the championship match.
