'I was struggling' - Jasmine Paolini lauds Donna Vekic after Wimbledon 2024 SF triumph

Jasmine Paolini will leapfrog Jessica Pegula and Marketa Vondrousova in the new WTA rankings.

Italian tennis star Jasmine Paolini lauded her opponent Donna Vekic after defeating her in a three-set thriller to reach her maiden Wimbledon final.

Jasmine Paolini, who has been in top form since the 2024 French Open, has entered the 2024 Wimbledon Championships women’s singles final, where she will face Czechia’s Barbora Krejcikova.

Before 2024, Paolini had zero third-round appearances in Grand Slams. However, she has reached two finals on two different surfaces in the ongoing season. In addition to that, she has also won a WTA 1000 title on the hard court.

Also Read: Wimbledon 2024: Barbora Krejcikova vs Jasmine Paolini preview, head-to-head, prediction, live streaming details

On Monday, Paolini will leapfrog the likes of Jessica Pegula and Marketa Vondrousova to become the new WTA World No. #5. She will become only the third Italian woman to reach this feat. In addition to that, she’s third, behind Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, in the race singles rankings.

However, she had to exhibit her best tennis against Donna Vekic to secure a spot in the final. The two played a three-set contest which lasted two hours and 51 minutes, becoming the longest women’s semi-final in Wimbledon history. Thus, after the match, Jasmine Paolini lauded Donna Vekic for her incredible performance.

She stated that Vekic played unbelievable tennis, and that she will always remember this match. Paolini also stated that she fought for every point. She said in the post-match press conference, “It was really tough. She played unbelievable. She was hitting winners everywhere. I was struggling at the beginning.”

ALSO READ: Jasmine Paolini equals Serena Williams’s eight-year-old record at 2024 Wimbledon

She added, “I repeated to myself to fight every ball and try to improve a little bit on the court because I was serving really bad. I’m so happy with this win. This match I will remember forever. There’s no place better than here.. to fight every point and every ball. For a tennis player this is the best place to play a match like this. Thank you for cheering for me.”

Paolini has also become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the final of the French Open and the Wimbledon. She will face Barbora Krejcikova in the women’s singles final, who has recorded wins over Elena Rybakina, Jelena Ostapenko and Danielle Collins on her way to the summit clash.

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