Barbora Krejcikova won Wimbledon for her second Grand Slam title with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Jasmine Paolini in the final on Saturday.
Krejcikova, a 28-year-old from the Czech Republic, adds this trophy to her championship at the French Open in 2021.
She was unseeded in Paris back then and was only the 31st of 32 seeds at the All England Club, having been limited to a 7-9 record this season due to illness and a back injury.
Krejcikova is the eighth woman to win Wimbledon in the past eight editions of the event. Last year's champion, unseeded Marketa Vondrousova, also from the Czech Republic, lost in the first round this year.
Seventh-seeded Paolini, the runner-up at the French Open last month, is the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the finals at both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.
Both finalists on Saturday took turns controlling the match.
Playing coolly and efficiently, Krejcikova claimed 10 of the first 11 points and quickly established a double-break lead at 5-1.
Despite the crowd's loud support for Paolini, shouting "Forza!" ("Let's go!") and "Calma!" ("Be calm!"), Krejcikova remained unfazed.
Known for her net skills, which have helped her win seven Grand Slam women's doubles titles, including two at Wimbledon, Krejcikova was content to stay at the baseline, delivering smooth groundstrokes to precise spots and winning the lengthiest exchanges.
There was no need for anything other than Plan A in the early stages, as the Centre Court crowd, which included actors Tom Cruise, Kate Beckinsale, and Hugh Jackman, looked on.
Paolini had previously come back from losing the first set, so she knew she had it in her. She began the second set against Krejcikova in style, delivering deep groundstrokes and securing a 3-0 advantage.
Once the match was tied at a set apiece, Krejcikova left the court to recalibrate.
Her shots, which had suddenly gone awry in the match's middle — with 14 unforced errors in the second set compared to just four in the first — returned to being crisp and clean.
At 3-all in the deciding set, it was Paolini who faltered, double-faulting for the only time all afternoon to get broken.
Krejcikova then held at love for 5-3, but when she served for the championship, things got tougher.
She needed to save a pair of break points and required three match points to secure the victory, winning when Paolini missed a backhand.


0 Comments