Barbora Krejcikova has made it to her first Wimbledon final by staging a comeback victory over Elena Rybakina on Centre Court, Thursday, July 11. Krejcikova overcame Rybakina with scores of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, setting up a final showdown with Jasmine Paolini on Saturday, July 13. Krejcikova bounced back from her first-round defeat at the French Open with a resilient performance to overcome the fourth seed.
BARBORA KREJCIKOVA IS A WIMBLEDON FINALIST ??
The Czech comes from a set down to beat 2022 champion Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Yo57VVuC4T
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 11, 2024
Rybakina began strongly, breaking Krejcikova early without difficulty. Her serving was precise, quickly establishing a 4-0 lead, surprising the Centre Court fans who did not anticipate the same level of drama as the first semi-final between Paolini and Vekic.
Krejcikova managed to break Rybakina’s streak, yet the former champion held her ground to set up a 5-1 lead. A late rally from Krejcikova saw her break Rybakina following some errors from the Kazakhstani player.
Nevertheless, Rybakina secured the first set 6-3 in 42 minutes. The second set belonged to Krejcikova, who, buoyed by the crowd’s support, began to display her tenacity, putting Rybakina on the defensive. The Czech star saved a break point and then advanced to a 2-1 lead in the second set.
Rybakina managed to equalize, but Krejcikova gained momentum, winning the next three games as the former champion’s errors began to mount. Krejcikova was poised to take the second set at 5-3 and had three set points before Rybakina forced deuce.
The players exchanged errors, but Krejcikova reached her sixth set point and clinched it 6-3, leveling the match at 1-1.
The final set began with Rybakina holding her serve to 30 and taking the lead. The service games of both women were impeccable as Rybakina increased her lead to 3-2. However, Krejcikova was not prepared to relinquish the momentum she had gained and managed to break her opponent, taking a 4-3 lead.
The player from the Czech Republic then overcame a slow start to her serve in the subsequent game, advancing her lead to 5-3 and appearing poised to clinch the match and advance to the final. Rybakina managed to win one more game, but it was not sufficient as Krejcikova served out the match to secure her place in the final.
Our 2024 ladies’ singles final is set ✨#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/a2DjH0QIvg
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 11, 2024
