World News Paolini edges Vekic in epic to reach Wimbledon final Blog

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Jasmine Paolini has become the first Italian to reach the Wimbledon singles final after defeating Croatian Donna Vekic in an epic draw on Centre Court.

Paolini won the longest women’s semi-final at the All England Club with 2:6, 6:4, 7:6 (10:8).

Fans were treated to a rollercoaster ride on Thursday as both players exhausted themselves in the fight for a place in the final against Barbora Krejcikova or 2022 champion Elena Rybakina.

The two 28-year-olds were entering new territory: Vekic was playing the first major semifinal of her career, while Paolini had never won a match on grass before this year.

The Croatian won the first set comfortably after suffering a break in the fifth game against Paolini, a surprise finalist at the French Open last month, and then again in the seventh game, with her mix of groundstrokes and drop shots under sunny skies proving too much for the Italian.

However, Paolini, cheered on by a vociferous group of Italians, was more aggressive in the second set, approaching the net and forcing Vekic on the defensive. Her hard work and energy finally paid off with a break to win the set.

The pair traded numerous breaks in the deciding set as both made unforced errors, particularly Vekic, who looked exhausted and emotional as the match wore on, tearing up after fending off Paolini’s first match point.

A successful appeal of a line decision helped Paolini save a nearly 10-minute match that ended with Vekic sobbing on her chair at halftime.

The Croatian fought back, fending off another match point and holding serve to force a tiebreak, but she looked particularly strained, making a total of 57 unforced errors and venting her frustration to coach Pam Shriver in the players’ box.

Paolini, on the other hand, seemed just as full of energy at the end of the two-hour, 51-minute match as he did at the beginning.

“The last few months have been crazy for me. I’m trying to focus on what I have to do on the court and I love playing tennis. It’s incredible to be here and it’s a dream,” Paolini said on the court.

“It was an intense game and I tried to do my best. Now it’s time to recover. I need an ice bath because my legs are a bit tired.”

The longest women’s semi-final at Wimbledon to date lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes and took place in 2009 between Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva.

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