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LONDON: Italy’s Jasmine Paolini has set herself the target of crowning her “crazy” run to Saturday’s Wimbledon final against Barbora Krejcikova by winning her first Grand Slam title.

Paolini survived the longest women’s singles semi-final in Wimbledon history on Thursday by beating Donna Vekic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) after two hours and 51 minutes of drama on Centre Court.

The 28-year-old is the first Italian woman to reach the final of a Grand Slam on grass.

She will face 31st-seeded Czech Krejcikova, who surprisingly won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 against 2022 champion Elena Rybakina in the other semi-final.

It is an astonishing achievement for Paolini, who had not won a single tour-level grass match until 15 days ago in Eastbourne and had lost in the first round on her previous three visits to Wimbledon.

Until this year, she had not yet managed to advance beyond the second round of a Grand Slam.

But 2024 was a breakthrough year for Paolini, who reached her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, but lost to world number one Iga Swiatek.

Even Paolini can hardly believe her remarkable rise.

“You’re crazy, I would say, yes,” she said. “Yeah, I have no words for it. Just, yes, you’re crazy,” said Paolini, who began her unexpected rise by reaching the last 16 of the Australian Open in January.

“Two Grand Slam finals in a row was unthinkable, right?”

Paolini, seeded seventh at Wimbledon, can be forgiven for her nerves as she seeks the first Grand Slam title of her so far disappointing career.

She admitted anxiety could be an issue on Centre Court this weekend but she can take heart from the spirited comeback against Vekic, who burst into tears as she let the semi-final slip away after leading 3-1 in the deciding set.

Paolini is the first woman to reach the finals of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back since Serena Williams in 2016.

It is only the second time that Krejcikova and Paolini have met in the final and their clash will be a world of difference to their first meeting.

The two faced each other in the first round of qualifying for the Australian Open in 2018, with Krejcikova winning in three sets.

“It’s been a long time, it’s been a great journey for both of us to reach the Wimbledon final,” Krejcikova said.

Krejcikova is playing in her second Grand Slam final of her career, after winning Roland Garros in 2021.

The 28-year-old has struggled with a back injury and illness this year and has won just three singles matches in the past five months, but she has found her form remarkably well at Wimbledon.

Krejcikova surprised 11th-seeded Danielle Collins in the fourth round, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals and Rybakina in the round of 16.

The two-time Wimbledon doubles champion draws inspiration from Jana Novotna, winner of the All England Club in 1998. She was her coach for a while before she died of cancer in 2017.

“She told me a lot of stories about her journey here and how she tried to win Wimbledon. I was already this far when we had this conversation and now I’m in the final,” said Krejcikova, who could become the sixth Czech woman to win Wimbledon.

“I’ve had a lot of tough times. I never really thought I would make it to the Wimbledon final, that I could be a different player.

“I’m super happy that I was able to overcome everything.”

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