Wimbledon final preview: Paolini, Krejcikova chase history

Barbora Krejcikova (CZE x31) v Jasmine Paolini (ITA x7)

Paolini’s breakout season continues to deliver as the No.7 seed bids to become the first Italian player in history to win Wimbledon.

The recent Roland-Garros runner-up is already the first Italian woman to make it this far at the Championships and is the first Italian player in the Open Era to reach the final at two different Grand Slam events.

Meanwhile, victory for Krejcikova would see her become the first player representing the Czech Republic in the Open Era to secure women’s singles titles at different Grand Slams.

The 2021 Roland-Garros champion is searching for the eighth title of her career and first of the season.

Will it be Krejcikova’s variety and all-court prowess that will prevail, or will Paolini’s big groundstrokes and supreme movement give her the upper hand?

Road to the final four

In a season interrupted by injury and illness, Krejcikova has found her footing on the grass and the 28-year-old has dropped just two sets en route to the final.

She impressed in her three-set dismissal of 2022 Wimbledon champion and No.4 seed Elena Rybakina in the semis to reach her first major final since Roland-Garros 2021.

First round: Defeated Veronika Kudermetova 7-6(4), 6-7(1), 7-5 in 3hr 14min

Second round: Defeated Katie Volynets 7-6(6), 7-6(5) in 2hr 2min

Third round: Defeated Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-0, 4-3 ret. in 56 minutes

Fourth round: Defeated Danielle Collins 7-5, 6-3 in 1hr 42min

Quarter-finals: Defeated Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 7-6(4) in 1hr 40min

Semi-finals: Defeated Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in 2hr 7min

Total time on court: 11hr 41min

Paolini booked her spot in the final by triumphing in the longest women’s semi-final ever to take place at Wimbledon. She rallied back from a set down, and trailed by a break twice in the decider, before she overcame Donna Vekic in a two-hour 51-minute tug of war.

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

First round: Defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-5, 6-3 in 1hr 37min

Second round: Defeated Greet Minnen 7-6(5), 6-2 in 1hr 32min

Third round: Defeated Bianca Andreescu 7-6(4), 6-1 in 1hr 31min

Fourth round: Defeated Madison Keys 6-3, 6-7(6), 5-5 ret. in 2hr 23min

Quarter-finals: Defeated Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-1 in 57 minutes

Semi-finals: Defeated Donna Vekic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(8) in 2hr 51min

Total time on court: 10hr 51min

Key stats

Krejcikova’s record in career tour-level semi-finals is a remarkable 14-1. The sole semi-final loss she suffered was a three-setter against Aryna Sabalenka in Linz in 2020.

Krejcikova has hit 31 double faults so far through six matches – the highest tally in the women’s field.

Paolini (27) and Krejcikova (23) are the players with the most break points converted at Wimbledon this fortnight.

Paolini has won 46 percent of her return games, compared to 37 percent for Krejcikova.

Paolini has fired 151 winners en route to the final, averaging 25.1 winners per match.

Paolini has won 72 percent of her net points (104/145), while Krejcikova has a 69 percent success rate at the net (51/74).

Head-to-head

The pair haven’t met in a main draw tour-level match before but Krejcikova beat Paolini in straight sets in Australian Open qualifying back in 2018.

What the players said

Krejcikova: “Before the tournament, I had a tough period. I just told myself that I will try to enjoy everything more. That I kind of did a lot of good achievements already, that I just want to have more fun than being in more stress about tennis and about the performances. In the end, so far, I think I was very, very successful in doing that. I'm definitely enjoying this moment much more than I did in Paris, which was more stressful for me.”

Paolini: “Two Grand Slam finals in a row was crazy to believe, I think, no? I'm also surprised how at the moment, until now in this moment, I'm living this. I feel maybe Saturday I will be so nervous, I don't know. But I feel also relaxed. I'm the same person. I'm doing the same things. I don't know. I'm surprised a little bit how I'm managing this. I don't want to say more because maybe Saturday I'm going to be shaking. I'm surprising by myself to live this with really relaxing mood, you know?”

Paolini on following in the footsteps of the great Italian women that came before her: “They are inspiring me so much. But I don't want to compare too much because I'm writing my own story, my own career. But I remember the Grand Slam finals that they made. I think it's really important for also the next generation having people that can do great things. They can show you that it's possible. That's really important, I think. Of course, I'm grateful to them, yeah.”