Female tennis star Jasmine Paolini has made history by becoming the first Italian-Ghanaian to reach the final of Wimbledon.
Jasmine Paolini, who has Ghanaian roots, advanced to the Wimbledon women's singles final after defeating Croatian star Donna Vekic in an exciting semi-final match.
The match, which lasted two hours and 51 minutes, became the longest women's singles semi-final in Wimbledon history.
Paolini fought back from a set down to win 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8), despite missing two match points and trailing 7-8 in the decisive tie-break.
The seventh-seeded tennis star is set to compete against Czech 31st-seed Barbora Krejcikova on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
Barbora also made a stunning comeback by defeating Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the other semi-final.
Paolini's journey to the Wimbledon final marks her second consecutive Grand Slam final appearance, following her loss in the French Open final in May.
The 28-year-old's Ghanaian heritage comes from her maternal grandfather, who is Ghanaian.
Absolutely fantastic!!! I'm so happy with this win. I will remember this match forever! It was a roller coaster. Thank you for cheering for me!! 🇮🇹😀@Wimbledon 📷: ITF pic.twitter.com/bDLG59MMA3
— Jasmine Paolini (@JasminePaolini) July 11, 2024
JNA/OGB