Former player and respected commentator Mark Petchey says Donna Vekic’s emotional breakdown had more to do with letting the match slip rather than the pain she was experiencing in her arm and leg.
After taking the first set 6-2 and having her chances in the second and third sets, the Croatian star capitulated late to hand it to Jasmine Paolini, who never had won a match at the All England Club until last week.
Paolini capitalised on her chance to qualify for her second consecutive grand slam final, taking the match 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) in 2 hours, 51 minutes on Centre Court.
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Donna Vekic could not hold her emotions during and after the longest semi-final women’s match in history at Wimbledon. Nine
Vekic was crying between points during the match and while sitting in her chair during the changeover late in the third set – because, she said afterward, of pain in an arm and a leg.
“I mean, I thought I was going to die in the third set. I had so much pain in my arm, in my leg. It was not easy out there, but I will recover,” she said.
“My team tells me that I can be proud of myself. It’s tough right now. It’s really tough.
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“I was more crying because I had so much pain, I didn’t know how I could keep playing.
“For sure, I will need to take couple of days to see everything. Yeah, I don’t know, it’s tough to be positive right now. It was so close.
“I had a lot of chances, yeah [tearing up].”
Donna Vekic sobs late in the third set. Nine
However, Petchey said it was the pressure of the moment and knowing she blew her chance to play in her maiden grand slam final, that was more likely the trigger.
“You’re not going to get many more chances to make a Wimbledon final against Paolini,” Petchey told Stan Sport’s Grand Slam Daily.
“It did look very emotional for Donna at 6-5 and to have those two break points on Paolini’s serve, not being able to take them.
“She says it’s probably something else but I kind of feel as though she knew that was her moment.”
Both Paolini and Vekic were playing their first Wimbledon semi-final, with the Italian having never won a match on grass before this year.
The Italian joins a list of tennis greats including Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Justine Henin and Steffi Graf to advance to the final at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.
Jasmine Paolini in action. Getty
She is also the first Italian woman to reach the All England Club final.
“It is no question that she’s on the front foot [heading into the final],” Petchey said.
Paolini will face 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova in Saturday’s final, after the Czech star produced a striking comeback to defeat 2022 champion Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
“There’s been a big shift for (Paolini) [in her game]. Confidence will take you everywhere. She’s up to a career high, number five in the world live rankings now,” Petchey said.
“She looked like she could go another seven hours.
“The fact she had never won on grass before – I think that’s the first time that’s happened here at Wimbledon since Justine Henin in 2001. She’s rewriting history books.”