Comeback queen Krejcikova books Wimbledon final with effervescent Paolini

Shrivathsa Sridhar - Reuters - 12/07
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.
  • Krejcikova rallies to beat 2022 winner Rybakina
  • Paolini comes from behind to down ailing Vekic
  • Wimbledon set for another first-time champion
LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - 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 grasscourt 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 Vondrous...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]