Paolini Fights Back To Earn Berth In Wimbledon Finals

In a spectacular comeback win on Centre Court, Italian Jasmine Paolini, the seventh seed, beat Croatian Donna Vekic, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(8), in two hours and 51 minutes to reach the final of Wimbledon.

The 28-year-old Italian is the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the Roland-Garros and Wimbledon finals in the same season.

Paolini will make her Top 5 debut in the WTA Rankings on Monday.

“I’m feeling amazing,” the Italian said in her post-match press conference. “Today has been a really, really tough match. So emotional match. Yeah, I’m just feeling so great, yeah.

“It was really tough. Today was really, really tough. At the beginning I was really struggling. She was serving really well. She was make me run every ball.

“I wasn’t serving well. I was just trying to repeat to myself to keep going, try to be close to her, yeah, just believe that the match can turn whenever. It work, I have to say. Yeah, I won the second set, then I won the third. It was a really, really tough match mentally and physically, as well.”

When asked about how she wears her heart on her sleeve and often smiles during a match, the Italian said: “I think, yes, I would always be like that. Now, I’m really enjoying to play in the big stadium. I feel grateful to the crowd that is watching me. Yeah, I’m just enjoying.

“I love to play in these kind of courts. It feels more special. Also to play important matches, it’s so special. I’m so grateful that also the crowd was cheering for me.

“Yeah, it’s a great feeling I think for a tennis player.”

When asked about the success of Italian tennis, Paolini said: “Yeah, Lorenzo is a really nice guy. I’m so happy for him. Tomorrow, for sure, I’m going to watch some tennis. Yeah, he has a huge talent. I think really good person. Hopefully he can play a good match.

“I don’t know. I think now we are many Italians doing great things. I think we are inspiring each other, no?

“Also, I have to say in Italy there are many, many tournaments, like challengers, ITF, juniors.

“I think every player shows that something can be possible. Jannik is showing that. In Italy now it’s normal to have Jannik No. 1. Normal, no, but he’s doing unbelievable things.

“I think he lost three matches this year, so it’s unbelievable to have him in that position. I think it help all the movement behind, no?

“Now we have many, many players that are doing really, really well, apart Sinner, of course.”

In her post-match press conference, an emotional Vekic said: “It was a tough, tough match. I believed that I could win until the end. She played some amazing tennis. All congrats to her. She definitely deserved it.

“I mean, I thought I was going to die in the third set. I had so much pain in my arm, in my leg. It was not easy out there, but I will recover.

“My team tells me that I can be proud of myself. It’s tough right now. It’s really tough. For sure I will need to take couple of days to see everything. Yeah, I don’t know, it’s tough to be positive right now. It was so close. I had a lot of chances, yeah.”