On Saturday, Center Court was basked in the sun as Barbora Krejcikova defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in a wonderful women’s final.
Krejcikova is now a 12-time Grand Slam winner, with ten doubles and two singles titles. The Czech won her next singles title at Roland-Garros in 2021.
She follows in the footsteps of her former coach and mentor Jana Novotna, who died tragically early of cancer. 49 IN 2017.
“I never dreamed that I would win the same trophy as Jana 1998said Krejcikova.
“Jana was the one who told me that I had potential and that I should become a professional.”
Krejcikova played a near-perfect first set with her beautiful technique creating effortless power for her all-around game.
In the second set, encouraged by the crowd, the Italian fan favorite turned things around with her agility, powerful groundstrokes and deft touch.
(Photo from henry NICHOLLS / AFP)
In the final set, the Italian held at love and looked to have the momentum, but then the Czech held at love. The match remained level until the check was broken in a long game at 3-all and then held in love for 5-3. The Italian was able to hold and then fought hard in the final game. It took the Czech three match points to seal the victory.
In her post-match press conference, Paolini said: “Yes, today it’s a bit difficult to talk now. Yes, it has been a very good two weeks. I have to accept today and try to work hard. I’m sure I will, but today it’s hard to talk because I was close, but not quite.
“Today I dreamed of holding the trophy, but it didn’t go well. Yeah, I’m just enjoying the position I’m in right now, 5 in the world. It’s incredible, honestly. I just made two finals in two Grand Slams. I have to be happy with the results too. Also, a little disappointed, yes.”
Paolini said about her opponent’s game: “I think she served better than me, of course. I also think she can move the ball very well, very well. She can get really great angles with shots. She is a very complete player. She is very good.
“Yeah, I think she was a little closer to the line with respect to me. I was a little bit, especially in the first set, way behind the court. She was getting the ball earlier and moving me.
“But then I tried to serve better and try to push more. It went a little better, but still she was playing really well I think. The quality of her service was better than mine, I think.”
In her press conference after the match, Krejcikova said: “I’m very happy that I won today, yes, that I managed to lift the trophy. Yes, it’s a great feeling.”
The new Wimbledon champion said she had no idea why this tournament. “I mean, I had a really tough draw from the first game. I just went game by game. I was just feeling better and getting better.
“Yeah, I mean, here I am. I don’t know how this happens. But, yes, I am the winner of this edition.”
Krejcikova was asked when Wimbledon became her dream: “It’s hard to say. I mean, winning any slam is great. Winning here at Wimbledon is huge for me.
“But I really wouldn’t say it was anything like my dreams when I was very young. I have like a little notebook that I wrote when I was, like 12. I don’t know, maybe three, four months ago I was listing through that notebook.
“I had it there in the future, like when I was 12I wrote that in the future I would like to win the French Open. So it was a pretty big dream for me to win the French Open.
“To be honest, maybe things shifted a bit when I met Jana and she was telling me all the stories about Wimbledon, about the grass, how hard it was for her to win the title and how exciting it was when she actually did. that.
“I think since then I’ve started to see Wimbledon as the biggest tournament in the world.”
