Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Krejcikova beats Paolini in final to clinch second Grand Slam title

Krejcikova’s win was deeply emotional, particularly because of her connection to her late mentor, Jana Novotna, who won Wimbledon in 1998 and passed away in 2017.

Krejcikova beats Paolini in final to clinch second Grand Slam title

Barbora Krejcikova, the 31st seed from the Czech Republic, captured her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon on Saturday, defeating Italy's seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the final.

The victory marked a significant milestone in Krejcikova's career, adding to her 2021 French Open triumph.


Krejcikova dominated the first set with aggressive play, winning 6-2. However, Paolini, known for her fighting spirit, rallied back in the second set, winning 6-2 and pushing the match to a decider. The third set was a tense battle, with Krejcikova breaking Paolini's serve at 3-3 due to a double fault. Serving for the title at 5-4, Krejcikova showed nerves of steel, saving two break points and eventually clinching the victory on her third match point.

Krejcikova's win was deeply emotional, particularly because of her connection to her late mentor, Jana Novotna, who won Wimbledon in 1998 and passed away in 2017. Reflecting on her journey, Krejcikova said, "Knocking on her door changed my life. Jana told me I had the potential and should turn professional. Before she passed away, she told me I could win a Grand Slam. Achieving this at Wimbledon, where she won, is beyond words."

Krejcikova second getty Krejcikova plays a forehand against Paolini during the women's singles final on Saturday. (Photo: Getty Images)

Krejcikova's tears flowed as she saw Novotna's name on the honours board. "The only thing going through my head was that I miss Jana a lot. It was a very emotional moment to see my name next to hers," she said.

Krejcikova's path to the final was marked by resilience as she faced a series of tough opponents, starting with a gruelling first-round match against Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, which she won 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (1/7), 7-5.

She continued her campaign with victories over Katie Volynets (7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5)), Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (6-0, 4-3 retired), and Danielle Collins (7-5, 6-3).

In the quarter-finals, Krejcikova overcame Jelena Ostapenko (6-4, 7-6 (7/4)) and then staged a comeback to defeat 2022 champion Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals (3-6, 6-3, 6-4).

Paolini, on the other hand, had an impressive run to the final, defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo (7-5, 6-3), Greet Minnen (7-6 (7/5), 6-2), Bianca Andreescu (7-6 (7/4), 6-1), and Madison Keys (6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 5-5 retired).

She then convincingly beat Emma Navarro (6-2, 6-1) in the quarter-finals and won a marathon semi-final against Donna Vekic (2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8)).

Despite the loss, Paolini's journey to the final was remarkable. She became the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final and had a historic run, including winning the longest women's singles semi-final in Wimbledon history against Vekic.

Paolini Paolini poses with her ladies' singles runner-up trophy. (Photo: Getty Images)

Paolini, who reached her second Grand Slam final this year after the French Open, remained positive. "I try to keep smiling because I have to remember today is still a good day. I made the final of Wimbledon," she said. "It's unbelievable. I just did two finals in two Grand Slams. I have to be happy with the results, even though I'm a little bit disappointed."

Born in Brno, Krejcikova began playing tennis at age six and has had a successful career in both singles and doubles.

She has won 14 singles and 19 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. In 2021, she completed a singles and doubles sweep at the French Open, becoming the first to do so since Mary Pierce in 2000.

Krejcikova also won a gold medal in doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and has multiple Grand Slam doubles titles, including two at Wimbledon.

Krejcikova's victory at Wimbledon is set to propel her back into the top 10 in singles rankings.

For Paolini, the focus remains on maintaining her high level of play and aiming for future Grand Slam titles.

(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)

More For You

Wes Streeting

Health secretary Wes Streeting will announce the funding in a speech in Blackpool. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Government to allocate £2.2bn NHS funding to poorest areas in England

THE UK government will allocate an additional £2.2bn to NHS services in England’s most deprived and coastal areas in a move aimed at reducing health inequalities.

Health secretary Wes Streeting will announce the funding in a speech in Blackpool on Wednesday. He is expected to call the investment a significant step towards providing equal standards of care across the country, The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
summer haircare tips

Hair care tips that will keep your tresses healthy and fabulous

iStock

Sunkissed and not stressed: Keep your hair healthy all summer

Dimps

Hair always faces a new challenge with each season’s changing temperature. In summer, UV rays, sweat, humidity, chlorine and saltwater can wreak havoc on even the best-maintained locks, leading to dryness, frizz, breakage and colour fading. Whether you are heading to the beach, commuting to work under the scorching sun, or just going for a long walk, it is important to have a smart hair care routine to stay ahead.

With that in mind, Eastern Eye asked top celebrity stylist and London salon owner Dimps Sanghani to share summer hair care tips that will keep your tresses healthy and fabulous, without taking up too much time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Three Mobile Suffers Outage, Disrupting Calls Across the UK

Several affected customers have taken to social media to express frustration

Getty Images

Three mobile network hit by outage affecting phone calls

Key points

  • Three confirms issue affecting voice services across the UK
  • Data services such as 4G and 5G are operating normally
  • Over 9,000 users reported problems on outage tracker
  • Customers on partner networks like ID Mobile and Smarty also affected
  • Vodafone services remain unaffected

Phone call issues reported on Three network

Mobile network provider Three has confirmed an ongoing issue affecting voice calls for some of its customers across the UK. The company acknowledged the problem in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating there is “an issue affecting voice services”.

Three has not confirmed how many of its 11 million UK customers are affected. However, the outage tracker DownDetector reported over 9,000 user complaints around 09:30 BST on Wednesday.

Keep ReadingShow less
FCA reviews mortgage rules to help first-time buyers

FILE PHOTO: FCA signage at their head offices in London. REUTERS/Toby Melville

FCA reviews mortgage rules to help first-time buyers

FINANCIAL watchdog is looking at changing mortgage rules to help more people buy homes, particularly first-time buyers, self-employed workers and those borrowing into retirement.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a public discussion on the future of the mortgage market as part of efforts to support economic growth and help consumers manage their money.

Keep ReadingShow less
PinkPantheress pulls out of Glastonbury night set as rising star Roza Terenzi

PinkPantheress drops out of Glastonbury’s Thursday lineup as Roza Terenzi steps in for late night set

Instagram/pinkpantheress/Getty Images

PinkPantheress cancels Thursday Glastonbury set as Roza Terenzi confirmed as replacement

Quick highlights:

  • PinkPantheress cancels her Thursday night slot at Glastonbury’s Levels stage.
  • Electronic act Roza Terenzi will now perform from 10:30 pm to midnight.
  • Organisers confirmed cancellation was not due to crowd concerns.
  • PinkPantheress still scheduled for Friday’s Woodsies stage set at 7:30 pm.

PinkPantheress has withdrawn from her Thursday night appearance at Glastonbury Festival just days before the event kicks off. The British pop star was set to perform a 30-minute set on the Silver Hayes Levels stage, but organisers have now confirmed a schedule reshuffle with Roza Terenzi taking over the late-night slot.

Keep ReadingShow less