Wimbledon shaken by distressing scenes: ‘She is crying - a lot’

A historic Wimbledon women’s semi-final tested the limits of the tennis world - and left one of the combatants unable to control herself.

Welcome to news.com.au’s rolling coverage of the Day 11 action from Wimbledon.

Another dramatic day unfolded on the grass courts at the All England Club, recap all the action below.

Wimbledon shaken by distressing scenes

Wimbledon witnessed one of the most entertaining but emotionally-draining matches in the tournament’s history as Jasmine Paolini continued her breakout season by edging a devastated Donna Vekic in the first women’s semi-final.

Paolini joined a very short list, which includes only the greatest players in modern tennis history, by backing up her runner-up French Open finish and making another slam final with a 2-6 6-4 7-6 (10-8) win.

The near three-hour epic was the longest women’s semi-final ever played at the All England Club and secured the Italian a place in the final against Barbora Krejcikova, who upset tournament favourite Elena Rybakina 3-6 6-3 6-4.

Paolini - who joined Steffi Graf, Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Venus Williamsis as the only players to make the finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year in the past 25 years - is the story of the 2024 women’s tour.

Standing just 163cm tall, she is winning fans at a rapid rate because of her perfectly positive body language and joyful expressions.

The 28-year-old provided the starkest of contrasts to Vekic, who reacted to every lost point in a gripping third set like someone had just run over her cat.

In distressing and bizarre scenes, Vekic began openly crying with the match still well and truly within her reach. “Vekic is crying - a lot,” tennis journalist Jose Morgado tweeted.

Donna Vekic began crying after losing a crucial point on review. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

The Croatian was in tears as she dealt with an arm injury. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

But it didn’t seem to impact her play as she regathered herself before each point and continued to hammer heavy serves and forehands at her pint-sized opponent.

The tension was unbearable - and led Aussie women’s star Daria Saville to tweet: “I can’t even imagine what both families are going through right now omg.”

Paolini had never won a main draw match at Wimbledon before this year, but the world number seven, who lost the French Open final last month, will face 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina or Czech 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova in Saturday’s final.

Vekic paid the price for 57 unforced errors, with the semi-final fittingly ending on another wild forehand from the unseeded Croatian.

Unable to contain her frustration at letting 3-1 and 4-3 leads slip in the last set, Vekic broke down in tears in the closing stages of a rollercoaster clash.

After surviving the emotional encounter with Vekic, Paolini could celebrate becoming the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final.

It has been a breakthrough year for Paolini, who reached her maiden Grand Slam final at Roland Garros before losing to world number one Iga Swiatek.

Paolini, who made the Australia Open last 16 in January, had not gone past the second round in any slam before this year.

Jasmine Paolini has made back to back grand slam finals. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The Italian celebrates after winning match point. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/AFP)

Without a win at the All England Club heading into the tournament, Paolini now has six victories under her belt and has dropped just two sets in the process.

“You know there is no place better than here to fight for every ball and every point,” Paolini said.

“I was struggling at the beginning. I was serving really bad, so I’m so happy. This match I will remember forever.”

Vekic landed the first break in the fifth game of the opening set, taking a 3-2 lead gift-wrapped by two wayward Paolini forehands.

Unloading baseline winners and deft drop-shots at will, the Croatian broke again in the seventh game and emphatically served out the set.

Paolini couldn’t convert her first break opportunity of the match in the fourth game of the second set.

But Vekic squandered two break points in the following game, losing her momentum as the feisty Paolini levelled the match with a ferocious forehand to take the set with a break at 5-4.

Vekic took a lengthy break off court to gather herself before the decider, re-emerging to break in the first game of the third set.

Jasmine Paolini’s joy is a delight. (Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP)

Yet as the tension mounted, the nervy Croatian stumbled as Paolini broke back to level at 3-3, Vekic earned another break in the following game before handing Paolini a lifeline by tamely dropping serve for 4-4.

In a dramatic finale, Vekic ignored an apparent injury to save a match point in the 10th game.

When Vekic couldn’t take a break point in the next game, she broke down in tears at the change of ends.

Vekic managed to compose herself enough to save a second match point, but she blew a 3-1 lead in the tie-break as Paolini gutted out a memorable victory.

Krejcikova fights back to upset Rybakina

Czech 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova will face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon final after battling back for a shock 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over former champion Elena Rybakina on Thursday.

Just hours after Paolini beat tearful Croatian Donna Vekic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) in the longest women’s semi-final at the All England Club, it was Krejcikova’s turn to dig deep for victory against fourth seeded Rybakina in two hours and seven minutes on Centre Court.

Krejcikova faces seventh seed Paolini on Saturday in what will be the second Grand Slam final of the 28-year-old’s career after her French Open triumph in 2021.

“I’m so proud about my game and my fighting spirit today,” said Krejcikova. The Czech started 2024 with a run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, but a first round exit at the French Open was a major setback.

Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova celebrates winning against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

She struggled with a back injury and illness, winning just three singles matches in the five months before finally finding her form in remarkable style at Wimbledon.

Krejcikova shocked 11th seed Danielle Collins in the fourth round and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the quarter-finals, before turning her sights on Rybakina.

The two-time Wimbledon doubles champion is now one win away from an unexpected triumph in the singles.

“Unbelievable. It is very tough to explain, but a lot of joy and a lot of emotions,” Krejcikova said.

“When I broke her in the second set, I started to be in the zone and I didn’t want to leave the zone.”

Rybakina had been in formidable form, dropping just one set as she extended her impressive All England Club record to 19 wins from 21 matches.

The 25-year-old, who won Wimbledon in 2022, made a fast start with two quick breaks for an early 4-0 lead in a one-sided first set against Krejcikova.

In her first Wimbledon semi-final, Krejcikova turned the tide in the second set, landing a priceless break in the sixth game.

She levelled the match on her sixth set point, making it the first time in 20 years that both Wimbledon women’s semi-finals had gone to the final set.

The Czech held all the momentum and she eventually wore down Rybakina, who had committed over 35 unforced errors by the time she surrendered her serve in the decisive, seventh game of the final set.

“Barbora played very well but I think it’s still a positive tournament for me,” said Rybakina.

- with AFP

Originally published as Wimbledon shaken by distressing scenes: ‘She is crying - a lot’