Barbora Krejcikova showcased remarkable determination and resilience to reach her first Wimbledon final, overcoming an aggressive assault from Elena Rybakina to secure a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory on Thursday.
At moments, it seemed like Krejcikova was overwhelmed, swaying under the relentless pressure from the 2022 champion. However, she managed to turn the tide and set up a final clash with Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini on Saturday.
Rybakina began the match with precision, hitting powerful shots to all corners of the court. However, Krejcikova held her ground and skillfully switched from defense to offense, eventually putting Rybakina on the defensive.
“I am so proud of my game and my fighting spirit today,” Krejcikova said to the appreciative Centre Court crowd. “I was trying to fight for every single ball. During the second set, I was gaining momentum, and when I broke her, I entered the zone and didn’t want to leave it.”
Krejcikova, the 31st seed, had never advanced beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon before and entered the tournament following a season plagued by injury and illness. Despite the odds, she reached her second Grand Slam final and is determined to put up a strong fight.
“It’s going to be a big fight,” she said when asked about facing French Open finalist Paolini, who defeated Donna Vekic in a marathon match earlier on Centre Court. “I know she is a fierce competitor, but I will be the same. We’re both playing great tennis, and it will be an exciting match on Saturday.”
Rybakina appeared to be dominating in the first set, quickly advancing to a 5-1 lead with her aggressive style. Nevertheless, after losing the opener, the 2021 French Open champion dug deep, broke Rybakina’s serve in the sixth game of the second set, and leveled the match.
With momentum on her side, the Czech player took control in the deciding set, breaking Rybakina in the seventh game when the Kazakh player missed a dropshot. Krejcikova then brought up three match points with a smash at the net and finally celebrated her victory when Rybakina sent a backhand return long.