Jasmine Paolini advanced to her second consecutive Grand Slam final with a hard-fought 2-6 6-4 7-6(8) victory over Donna Vekic in the longest ladies’ singles semifinal in Wimbledon history.
In her maiden major semifinal, Vekic dominated the first set, not facing a single break point. However, the unseeded Croat squandered three break points in the second set, allowing the seventh-seeded Paolini to mount a comeback. Paolini seized her opportunity, taking two consecutive games from 4-4 and converting her first set point to level the match.
The deciding set was an intense battle. Vekic surged to a 2-0 lead and had a break point to go up 3-0, but the resilient Paolini prevented the double break and evened the score at 3-3. The set remained tightly contested, with both players exchanging breaks for 4-4.
Leading 5-4, Paolini earned her first match point, but Vekic saved it, along with another, in a series of long and nerve-wracking games that ultimately led to a tiebreak—an appropriate conclusion to this thrilling semifinal. True to the match’s pattern, the tiebreak was incredibly close. At 8-8, the 28-year-old Paolini managed to win two consecutive points, converting her third match point to clinch the victory.
The 28-year-old Italian, who also has Polish and Ghanaian heritage,…
