Italy's Jasmine Paolini aims to crown her remarkable Wimbledon journey with a maiden Grand Slam title after defeating Donna Vekic in the longest women's singles semi-final in Wimbledon history. Paolini won 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) in a match lasting two hours and 51 minutes on Centre Court. The 28-year-old, the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final, will face Czech 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova, who upset 2022 champion Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the other semi-final.

Paolini's breakthrough year includes reaching her first Grand Slam final at the French Open, where she lost to world number one Iga Swiatek, and making it to the Australian Open last 16 in January. Despite her previous struggles on grass, Paolini's perseverance paid off, making her a formidable contender for the title.

Reflecting on her unexpected rise, Paolini expressed her disbelief, saying, "Two Grand Slam finals in a row was crazy to believe, no?" As she prepares for the final, she acknowledged the possibility of nerves but drew confidence from her tenacious comeback against Vekic, who led 3-1 in the final set before Paolini's resilient fightback.

On the other side of the net, Krejcikova, playing in her second Grand Slam final, seeks to add a Wimbledon title to her 2021 French Open victory. Krejcikova's path to the final was remarkable, overcoming 11th seed Danielle Collins, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, and Rybakina. Inspired by her late coach Jana Novotna, the 1998 Wimbledon winner, Krejcikova is driven to honor her memory and become the sixth Czech woman to win Wimbledon.

The final will mark the second meeting between Paolini and Krejcikova, with their first encounter in the 2018 Australian Open qualifying rounds. Both players have come a long way since, and their Wimbledon showdown promises to be an exciting clash of determination and resilience.