Barbora Krejcikova, left, of the Czech Republic is congratulated by Jasmine Paolini of Italy after ... [+]
On the 13th day of Wimbledon, there was nothing unlucky about Barbora Krejcikova beating seventh seed Jasmine Paolini in the ladies' singles final. As the Saturday afternoon sun - and crowd - warmed to the Czech on Centre Court, there was an air of disbelief about her. The 31st seed won through in three sets, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in a final that had so many unpredictable changes in momentum.
Paolini was the crowd favorite from the very beginning, but it was Krejcikova who started like a woman on a mission to get the job done. In the post-match interview on court with the BBC’s Annabel Croft, the 28-year-old revealed that the late Jana Novotna, her mentor and former coach, had told her to win a (singles) Grand Slam. She has now done that twice, having won the 2021 French Open.
Novotna famously lost in 1993 against Steffi Graf on the same patch of grass through a loss of nerve and serve but came back to claim the crown five years later. Krejcikova fully deserved to match the woman who changed her life by serving it out in a pulsating final game.
As for the Italian, it was her second major final seback in a matter of five weeks. Her Paris defeat to the queen of clay Iga Swiatek was predictable, even though she started faster in that match. This will hurt more as the 28-year-old had become the dominant player by the start of the third set. She took the reverse with grace and can console herself with the fact that there was nothing left out there after tension took her hostage in the first set. Paolini is now ranked fifth in the world and over £3 million richer after the last two slams.
The Czech, who now has an almost perfect record of 12-1 in slam finals thanks to her doubles brilliance, started as if she needed to meet someone for an early tea. She won ten of the first eleven points and barely put a return or serve into the net. Paolini’s service speed was below the mid-90s, so there were no free points there either. Two breaks of serve and 35 minutes later, there was a possibility of a very quick finale.
Paolini left the court after the first set destruction and her return kickstarted a change in mood and intensity. The serves were considerably meatier. The change of speed befuddled her opponent. Suddenly, the Italian was three games up and Krejcikova’s aura, timing and dominance wavered. Paolini was running the show now and the crowd were almost unanimously supportive of a player combining the athleticism of Lorenzo Musetti with the long rally resilience of Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. After losing the second act 6-2, the Czech strode away from a scene that was no longer serene.
The third set shootout changed the narrative again . There were love service games on both sides. Nobody was taking the script by the scruff of the neck although Paolini still had the strut of Saturday afternoon fever. Suddenly, that fever turned into a bug at 3-3 when she double-faulted on break point after using a challenge to check the first serve. It was the quietest and longest gasp moment of the match. This wasn’t supposed to happen to Centre Court’s adopted Italian terrier.
The former World No. 2 still had to serve it out, which was okay for 5-3, but at 5-4 and 30-0 she stalled. There was a double fault. Paolini was alive again and two separate break points followed. If it had gone 5-5, the French Open runner-up would surely have carried less baggage to the checkered flag. Bravely, Krejcikova kept serving big and hitting deep enough to see it home at the third time of asking when a return sailed out.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 10: Barbora Krejcikova of Czechia celebrates winning match point against ... [+]
It was an incredible run for Krejcikova who showed no real signs of being a contender after taking three hours and 15 minutes to navigate her way past Veronika Kudermetova in the first round. When she was comprehensively outplayed by 2022 champion Elena Rybakina in the first set of the semi-finals, it appeared a match too far. Yet, here she was standing with the Venus Rosewater Dish. She could scarcely believe it was real. "I don't have any words right now - it's just unbelievable, it's definitely the best day of my tennis career and also the best day of my life," the former Wimbledon doubles junior champion said in victory .
When asked what she felt about meeting Rybakina in the last four, the Czech replied she didn’t know and to ask her view after the match. If asked what the emotions are now, the response might be a little more open. Centre Court saw that personality too and have surely noted it when the defending champion comes back. She is the woman who loves Grand Slam finals.
