Barbora Krejcikova returned to a Grand Slam singles final three years after her only triumph with a stirring Wimbledon comeback on Thursday that set up a meeting with Italian Jasmine Paolini, who continued to break new ground at the All England Club.
Despite a wealth of major doubles success, Krejcikova came into the contest with 2022 champion Elena Rybakina as the lower-seeded underdog but she kept a cool head after a sluggish start against the big-hitting Kazakh to prevail 3-6 6-3 6-4.
Seventh seed Paolini earlier became the first Italian woman to reach the final after overcoming Croatian Donna Vekic 2-6 6-4 7-6(8) in a thriller, continuing her extraordinary year after last month’s French Open runner-up finish.
The results ensured that there will be a different women’s champion at the grass-court major for an eighth straight year and a first-time winner.
Former French Open winner Krejcikova also joined an elite group as the seventh Czech-born woman to make a Wimbledon final in the professional era that began in 1968.
She emulated Hana Mandlikova, Martina Navratilova, Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova, Marketa Vondrousova as well as her mentor and idol Jana Novotna.
“A couple of years I was working with Jana… She told me a lot of stories about her journey here and how she was trying to win Wimbledon,” an emotional Krejcikova said as she remembered 1998 champion Novotna, who died seven years ago.
“I was so far away when we had this talk. Now I’m here and I’m in a final. I remember thinking about her a lot. I have so many beautiful memories. When I step on the court I fight for every single ball as that is what she would want me to do.”