On Saturday, two first-time Wimbledon finalists will compete for the title, as Jasmine Paolini takes on Barbora Krejcikova.
Paolini has had a breakout year, and just played in her first-ever major final at the French Open. Krejcikova won the 2021 French Open title, and wants to match that feat again. Who will win? We asked our experts:
What can Paolini do to defeat Krejcikova?
D’Arcy Maine: These two have only played against each other only once — in the first round of qualifying at the 2018 Australian Open. Both are so far removed from that match that Paolini didn’t even remember it when speaking to the media on Thursday, instead saying they had never played each other. (Krejcikova won that match, for the record.)
After playing in the French Open final just over a month ago, Paolini now knows what it’s like to play for a major championship, and all the nerves and emotions that come with it. She’ll need to utilize that experience in order to play her game from the start, and not let the moment intimidate her. She’ll also need to keep the same positive energy we’ve seen (and fans have fallen in love with) throughout the tournament.
She told reporters before she knew who she would be facing that she would need to improve her serve and…
