Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Final Preview: Paolini looks for first major, Krecjikova aims for unlikely SW19 title.
Every grand slam tournament has its fair share of surprises. This year’s Wimbledon is no exception. The Ladies’ singles have seen its fair share of upsets. But only two remain, and its only fitting two upsets in the semifinals sets up an intriguing championship match. Jasmine Paolini looks to continue her great summer play with a Wimbledon title, while Barbora Krecjkova hopes to win the coveted tournament as the 31st seed. Let’s take a browse at Saturday’s Final.
Jasmine Paolini has been red hot this year. A championship in Dubai set the stage for an incredible season. The Italian has embarked in unchartered waters in a short span. A run to the French Open Final allotted her the seventh seed in Wimbledon. Her run to the title match has seen wins against many fantastic North American players. Paolini defeated former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu (7-6) (6-1). Paolini would follow up with a tough three set battle against American Madison Keys before the former US Open finalist who was forced to retire. Next, Paolini trounced American Emma Navarro only dropping three games. Paolini would face her toughest test against veteran Donna Vekic in the semifinals. Being pushed to the third set, Paolini battle from a breakdown and sneaked past Vekic by the thinnest of margins, claiming the match tiebreaker 10-8. Paolini has skyrocketed to overnight success and the joyride will continue Saturday.
Barbora Krejcikova busted onto the scene in 2021 to win the French Open and achieve a ranking of 2nd in the world. Although she has spent much of her time competing and succeeding in doubles, the Czech tennis star has a career slam in doubles, winning the Australian, French, and Wimbledon twice. Her singles is a different story. The French Open for her saw Krejcikova bounced in the first-round courtesy of Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland. Krecjikova made the final with three straight upsets. The first came in the round of 16 against an inspired Danielle Collins who has played stellar tennis in her farewell tour. She would follow with a win against former slam champion Jelena Ostapenko. Krejcikova would save her best performance yet for the semifinal. Battling former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, Krejcikova rallied down a set, to beat the heavy favorite in the third set 6-4. The 31st seed looks to cap off a storybook journey with an unlikely Wimbledon title.
Both players carry high octane aggressive styles. Krejcikova carries a strength in her net play much accredited to doubles play. Paolini holds an edge on Krejcikova thanks to her dynamic style that features heavy topspin on the forehand. The two have only met once. The match came in 2018 Australian Open qualifying, where Krejcikova won (6-2) (6-1). Both players in their press conferences said neither remembered the match. Saturday will be as close to a blank slate as you can get. Expect a fantastic match on Saturday.
Pick: Paolini (4-6) (6-3) (7-5)
Expect a tensely filled match where early breaks will likely decide who will win each set. Paolini’s game has been consistently peaking, expect a dramatic third set to close out the Ladies’ singles tournament.
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