Bill Simons
Wimbledon
WHAT’S IN THE WATER IN ITALIA? Italy has a woman into the finals and Lorenzo Musetti plays Novak Djokovic in Friday’s men’s semi.
PAOLINI PREVAILS – AN EPIC WE’LL LONG REMEMBER: If they gave out a gold medal to a woman based that was on sheer joy, uncompromising grit and sublime talent, you might as well hand it over right now to a 5’ 4” battler from Tuscany – Jasmine Paolini.
Never mind that before this year, the 28-year-old had just hoped to get beyond the second round of a Slam. Who cares that she began the year at No. 30, or that she’d never won a main draw match on grass until this year? Now the small dynamo was having big results.
The No. 7 in the world was seeking to be the first Italian woman to make the Wimbledon finals. She hoped to do what the women’s Big 4 – Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina – couldn’t do: reach the French and Wimbledon finals back-to-back. The bubbly Italian, who freely chats about how her personal chef continually serves up her favorite, pasta primavera, has served up a string of happy Wimbledon moments, including wins against Americans Madison Keys and Emma Navarro. But her foe today, Donna Vekic, was Croatian.
Tall, lean and blessed with super model good looks, from the outset of her career Vekic was a commanding figure who emerged as a can’t-miss phenom. At her first WTA tournament she reached the finals. Here was Croatia’s answer to Maria Sharapova (but the Russian won Wimbledon when she was 17). Vekic did reach three Slam quarterfinals and rose to No. 19. But at times, she was known more for her relationships with Stan Wawrinka and Thanasi Kokkinakis and her well-manicured nails. Just before the French Open, she was distraught and on the edge of retirement. But at Wimbledon the No. 37 in the world continually nailed it.
After a marathon first game, Vekic began feasting on Paolini’s slow, errant second serve. She was calm, powerful and workmanlike. Her level was high as she collected the first set in a convincing 35 minutes, 6-2. Walk in the park!
Paolini was reeling and seemed hapless as she stared at her box. Her imposing 5’ 10” foe dominated. But Jasmine refused to be bullied. She tried to problem solve and get the Croat out of her considerable rhythm. She brushed off an early break point. Then one of Jasmine’s combo plates – a dropshot, lob, stretch forehand volley winner masterpiece – thrilled the throng.
Now Paolini was lighting up the court with the dazzling belief that she began to display early on at the French Open. She refuses to lose. Her will, speed, technique and tennis IQ are as notable as her delightful scrambles.
At 4-4 in the second set, Vekic had the easiest of overheads to gain command to put her within a game of the final. But she blew it. Never underestimate Grand Slam nerves. In a flash reversal, Paolini held serve and broke – to steal the second set 6-4.
But then the savvy Croatian took a long bathroom break. She seemed to say, “You can scurry all you want. You have a nice smile, but I’m the heavyweight – watch this!” She promptly broke Jasmine as an epic match amped up. Low to the ground but high in hope, Jasmine hammered a return of serve and soon evened the battle.
On the cusp of great glory, Vekic had wobbled badly. Her shots misfired – her serve took a nap. Scoreboard pressure is real. The Tuscan broke back with ease. One was tempted to ask, “Does anyone want to win this battle?” The surging Italian giant killer held to go up 5-4 and, for the first time since early in the first set, gained the lead.
Just as one hopeful landed a punch, the other countered. Stunning winners to the line, shanked forehands that we imagined were heading for the English Channel, timid second serves that seemed to go backwards, nerve-rattling marathon games and whiplash changes in momentum – this match had everything. And – get this – there was even sunshine.
It may have had more errors than most, but few Wimbledon women’s battles have had more drama than this semi. Paolini bravely fought her way to two match points – but then she wobbled. This battle of attrition inevitably found its way into a third-set tiebreak. Would Jasmine be haunted by failing to capitalize or would all her experience in doubles, which has so many tiebreaks, prove to be handy? Donna was in pain in her arm and legs, and later told us, “I thought I was going to die.”
The tiebreaker was a tight knot. Amidst all the excruciating tension, the Italian embraced the battle and smiled. The Croatian blinked – then she sobbed. At 8-8, Jasmine scored a mini-break and converted her third match point when a Vekic forehand sailed wide, to win 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(10-8) in 2:51.
Once again we saw Jasmine’s infectious glee. She told the crowd, “There’s no better place to fight for every point than here. It was a real rollercoaster of emotions. These last months have been crazy for me. It’s a dream. I’m enjoying it and just living in the present.”
The first woman to reach both the French Open and the Wimbledon finals since Serena in 2016, who prevailed in the longest women’s semi in Wimbledon history, simply said, “I will remember this match forever.”
So will many a tennis fan.
THE CZECH BOUNCES BACK: Former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova came back from a set down to upset the 2022 champion and tournament favorite, Elena Rybakina, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the Wimbledon final.
TWENTY-EIGHT AND PRETTY GREAT: They say life begins at 40. But here at Wimbledon, life begins at 28. Three of the WTA semifinalists – Paolini, Vekic and Barbora Krejcikova – are 28.
YOU KNOW IT’S EARLY MORNING AT WIMBLEDON WHEN: You round a corner and a smiling Andrea Petkovic says hi. Italian Roberta Vinci is beaming as she chats on her phone. The grunts from the practice courts are loud.
There’s a gentleman from Earlsfield in a pink jacket, chuckling with his companion, who’s wearing the highest of heels. Then Wimbledon Radio describes the picnic basket of a Scottish couple that’s adorned with tassels.
HALL OF FAME HONORS: The International Tennis Hall of Fame had an extraordinary press event today featuring its upcoming inductees: writer, broadcaster and historian Richard Evans and the Indians Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj. Vijay recalled that back in his day, “London was too far to get to. When I grew up, it was unattainable. But when I got there, it was about more than just tennis. It was a matter of bringing people together. It was a blessing for me and the Indian people.”
Paes recalled that on May 12, 1986, Vijay felt he wasn’t good enough to get into the Amritraj Tennis Academy. But Vijay’s mother gave Leander an audition and Leander promptly gained entry. Soon after, he met Evans, who was writing Amritraj’s biography. Richard told him: “If you work hard enough, you can be a Hall of Famer.” Paes spoke of the three inductees and the tennis community, saying, “This is all about love.”
SHARAPOVA REMEMBERS: Maria Sharapova recalled her historic win over Serena 20 years ago. She told John McEnroe that as she advanced deep into the tournament her coach Michael Joyce told her, “’This is when you put your horse blinders on.’ I didn’t know what that meant.” But she added, “I was fearless.”
McEnroe joked, “Maria’s a lot smarter than she looks.”
Also reporting Vinay Venkatesh
