Thriller against Paolini

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Barbora Krejcikova won 2:1 against the Italian Jasmine Paolini

(Bild: AFP/APA/HENRY NICHOLLS)

Tennis pro Barbora Krejcikova has beaten Italy's Jasmine Paolini 2:1 in the Wimbledon final to win the title. The Czech won the first set 6:2 before the Italian was able to equalize (6:2). The deciding set was hard-fought until Krejcikova finally got the break and clinched the title with 6:4.

Barbora Krejcikova was crowned Wimbledon champion for the first time on Saturday. The 28-year-old Czech defeated the Italian Jasmine Paolini 6:2, 2:6, 6:4 after 1:56 hours in the final of the All England Tennis Championships. This makes her the successor to her compatriot Marketa Vondrousova, who was eliminated early this year.

Jasmine Paolini

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

In addition to 2,000 WTA points, her second major title after the 2021 French Open was rewarded with a winner's cheque of 2.7 million pounds (3.21 million euros). Paolini can console herself with 1.4 million pounds and 1,300 points.

A brilliant start
Krejcikova got off to the better start in front of actor Tom Cruise and put her stamp on the match right from the start. The 2021 French Open winner took the serve from the more nervous-looking Italian in the opening game. Paolini never really got into the match in the first set and had to give up her service again at 1:4. After just 35 minutes, Krejcikova, whose serve had also been untouchable for the 1.63 m tall Paolini until then, served out the set to zero to win 6:2.

Out of nowhere, the lively, combative Italian managed to turn things around after a short break between sets. In her second major final en suite after the French Open run (defeat to Iga Swiatek), Paolini changed her tactics and avoided her opponent's strong forehand. This time she made the first break herself to make it 2:0. Suddenly the world number five from Monday showed confidence and made it 3:0 after fending off a break point.

Italian showed morale
Her coach, former world number one Renzo Furlan, also appreciated that. Krejcikova showed nerves of steel, but after two double faults en suite, she fended off two break points to make it 0:4. But Paolini did not give up the momentum, kept pushing herself with her right fist and, to the delight of the fans, she forced a decider after just 71 minutes and another break to make it 6:2.

As was to be expected: after two clear sets, the decider was tight. Both players held serve until 3:3 before the crowd-favorite Italian, who had played her way into the hearts of the Brits with her emotional style during the tournament, had to give up her serve with a double fault to make it 3:4.

Paolini's resistance was almost broken. But she still had a chance to break back at 4:5 in the tenth game. You could tell how important this win was to Krejcikova in the final game. After fending off a break point at 5:4, she then used her third match point to triumph.