Jasmine Paolini becomes first Italian woman to reach Wimbledon final

Jasmine Paolini made history on Thursday by becoming the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon women's singles final, defeating a tearful Donna Vekic of Croatia in a gripping semifinal match.

In one of the tournament's most exciting matches, Paolini missed two match points and was trailing 8-7 in the 10-point tie-break before staging a remarkable comeback to secure victory. The match, lasting two hours and 51 minutes, is now the longest women's singles semi-final in Wimbledon history. Paolini triumphed with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8).

"I'm so happy with this win. This match, I will remember forever," said Paolini in a post-match interview. "I was just trying to think about what to do on the court, point by point, because I was really in difficulty.”

The 28-year-old Italian will face Czech 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova in the final on Saturday. Krejcikova, the seventh seed, secured her place in the final by defeating 2022 champion Elena Rybakina with a comeback victory of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in another semifinal clash on Thursday.

Paolini, who had never won a match at Wimbledon before this year, has gained widespread popularity for her enthusiasm, bubbly personality, and incredible shot-making skills. Reflecting on her performance, she said, "I was serving really bad so I am so happy. This match I will remember forever.”

Saturday's final promises to be historic, with a new name set to be etched into the Venus Rosewater Dish.