Barbora Krejcikova returned to a GrandSlam singles final three years after her only triumph with a stirringWimbledon comeback on Thursday that set up a meeting with ItalianJasmine Paolini, who continued to break new ground at the All EnglandClub. Despite a wealth of major doubles success, Krejcikova cameinto the contest with 2022 champion Elena Rybakina as thelower-seeded underdog but she kept a cool head after a sluggish startagainst the big-hitting Kazakh to prevail 3-6 6-3 6-4. Seventh seed Paolini earlier became thefirst Italian woman to reach the final after overcoming CroatianDonna Vekic 2-6 6-4 7-6(8) in a thriller, continuing herextraordinary year after last month's French Open runner-up finish.
The results ensured that there will bea different women's champion at the grasscourt major for an eighthstraight year and a first-time winner. Former French Open winner Krejcikovaalso joined an elite group as the seventh Czech-born woman to make aWimbledon final in the professional era that began in 1968. Sheemulated Hana Mandlikova, Martina Navratilova, Petra Kvitova,Karolina Pliskova, Marketa Vondrousova as well as her mentor and idolJana Novotna.
"A couple of years I was workingwith Jana ...
She told me a lot of stories about her journey here andhow she was trying to win Wimbledon," an emotional Krejcikovasaid as she remembered 1998 champion Novotna, who died seven yearsago. "I was so far away when we hadthis talk. Now I'm here and I'm in a final.
I remember thinking abouth.
