In the semi-finals, the player born in 1999 from the Czech Republic, Vondrousova met a real challenge named Elina Svitolina. Just coming back from giving birth not too long ago, Svitolina has surprised everyone with her victory over 3 Grand Slam champions, including No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek, to advance. into the semi-finals. But having to work hard against strong opponents has made the Ukrainian tennis player’s fitness decline. Svitolina no longer kept the mutation as before and lost quickly to Vondrousova after 2 sets with the same score 3-6.
Vondrousova was dominant throughout the match. In the first set, she took a 4-2 lead after winning game 5, a game in which she showed a very powerful cross-court hit with both her forehand and backhand. In the second set, things were more tense when Svitolina had the opportunity to equalize 4-4, but she missed and lost on aggregate to the Czech opponent. Currently ranked 46th in the world, Vondrousova is the second lowest ranked player to reach the Wimbledon singles final since the rankings were introduced. Previously, Serena Williams (USA) did this in 2015 when she was ranked 151 in the world. This is only the second Grand Slam final of her career and Vondrousova’s first match at Wimbledon. Before that, she achieved a feat as a young player at the 2019 French Open tennis tournament when she reached the final but lost to Ashleigh Barty.
Contrary to Vondrousova’s somewhat effortless experience, Jabeur’s semi-final was far more dramatic. Carrying on as the reigning Wimbledon runner-up, Jabeur successfully collected debt when turning Elena Rybakina into a former king with a 2-1 victory in the quarterfinals. In the semi-finals, the Tunisian tennis player continued to have to go through a 3-set “mortification” with world No. 2, Aryna Sabalenka. The journey of the girl born in 1994 seemed to have ended when she lost the first set and was led to 2-4 in the second set. However, Jabeur’s unbelievable efforts helped her have 4 consecutive wins to equalize. get score. By this time, the game was completely in Jabeur’s hands and she excellently won the decisive set with a score of 6-4 to reach the second consecutive Wimbledon final. “I have a goal. I will do it to be 100% prepared and hope that I can make history not only for Tunisia but also for Africa.”
Commenting on Jabeur, experts say that the strongest point of the African tennis player is physical strength. At the age of 28, Jabeur is still extremely agile and supple. It is his abundant physical strength that helps Jabeur always stay calm at important moments. This is the result of a rigorous physical training process. “If I had met Sabalenka 12 months ago, or 6 months ago, I would have lost,” admitted Jabeur. “Her serves are difficult to defend. You have to accept that in a match against such opponents, you are not in control. Even with a 40-0 lead in Sabalenka’s serve, she was able to bounce back with 3 direct hits. So I have to be patient. It was my past trauma that taught me that lesson. I stuck to my original plan, winning with my speed and toughness.”
If Jabeur is more of a “defensive” system, then Vondrousova is an expert at changing the rhythm of the attack. The forte of the 42nd ranked tennis player in the world is to look at unexpected angles, then suddenly drop or “slash” the ball in the direction of the opponent unable to move in time. Vondrousova admits her play is difficult on clay, but on grass it is much more effective. “On the pitch, my mind imagines more things. Hopefully I’ll make Jabeur have a rough Saturday afternoon.”
“Why can’t female coaches coach male players?”
Former Spaniard Conchita Martinez hopes there will be more female coaches in both WTA and ATP tournaments: “Why can’t female coaches coach male players? I think it’s completely doable.” Martinez is an exception when he used to lead Spain’s Davis Cup team for 2 years. She has just been appointed director of the Billie Jean King Cup in Sevilla this year. When he was still playing, Martinez’s most outstanding achievement was winning Wimbledon in 1994.
Vondrousova: “I still can’t believe it until now”
Talking about the feeling of reaching the Wimbledon final for the first time, Vondrousova could not hide her emotions: “Last year, I just went to Wimbledon to watch my friend compete in the women’s doubles event. Miriam Kolodziejova is my best friend and we also played doubles this year. After the surgery, I had to stop training for 6 months and it was unbelievable that I made it to the final. I am very grateful to those who have supported me. This journey has been crazy and I’m still lightheaded.”
