By Martyn Herman
LONDON (Reuters) -Barbora Krejcikova held off Italian crowd favourite Jasmine Paolini to win the Wimbledon singles title on Saturday, coming through 6-2 2-6 6-4 on a sunlit Centre Court.
The Czech doubles specialist had dominated the opening set with a near-perfect display but was then rocked by a dazzling Paolini fightback which sent the showpiece into a decider.
The momentum appeared to be with seventh seed Paolini, but a tight third set swung 31st seed Krejcikova's way when she broke serve at 3-3 courtesy of a double-fault.
Serving for the title at 5-4, Krejcikova just about held her nerve, wasting two match points and saving two break points before sealing victory at the third time of asking.
"I was just telling myself to be brave and if the game doesn't go my way it's still 5-5 and we continue," Krejcikova, who was watched by Czech-born nine-time singles champion Martina Navratilova, said when describing the nerve-shredding finale.
Before being presented with the trophy, the 28-year-old also paid tribute to her friend, mentor and fellow Brno native, 1998 Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna who died in 2017.
"Jana was the one that told me I have potential and that I should turn pro and before she passed away she told me to go and win a Grand Slam," said Krejcikova, who adds the Wimbledon title to her 2021 French Open triumph and also owns 10 Grand Slam doubles titles, including two at the All England Club.
While there were tears of joy for the Czech, it was heartache for the popular Paolini who lost the French Open final a few weeks ago and was bidding to become the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title.
"Today I am a little bit sad. I try to keep smiling because I have to remember today is still a good day, I made the final of Wimbledon," Paolini, whose joyful and bubbly personality has lit up the tournament, said.
Krejcikova was seeking to continue a tradition of Czech-born Wimbledon champions including Marketa Vondrousova who claimed the title last year and she began in dominant fashion.
Striking the ball with pace and accuracy she broke serve in the first game before holding for a 2-0 lead.
Paolini, who beat Donna Vekic in the longest ever Wimbledon women's semi-final to become the first Italian woman to reach the final, weathered some fierce ball-striking in her next service game to get herself on the scoreboard.
The Centre Court crowd came alive in the fourth game as Paolini showed unbelievable court coverage to stay in one point but to no avail as Krejcikova held for 3-1.
Chatting to herself between points, Paolini tried to fire herself up in the face of a Krejcikova onslaught but another dropped service game left her reeling and the Czech pouched the opener in 35 one-sided minutes.
Paolini disappeared off court, presumably for a deep breath, and returned with fire in her belly. Immediately the momentum shifted as she seized on the first Krejcikova dip to move into a 3-0 lead with some flowing winners.
Suddenly it was Krejcikova who looked tight with consecutive double faults adding more fuel to the Paolini fire but the Czech steadied down to avoid slipping 4-0 behind.
It was all Paolini though as she rode the cheers of the crowd to take the final to a decider.
She looked poised to join Francesca Schiavone (2010 French Open) and Flavia Pennetta (2015 U.S. Open) on the list of female Italian Grand Slam singles champions, but Krejcikova used all her experience to wrestle back control.
Krejcikova banged down five aces in the deciding set and when Paolini wavered at 3-3 it proved decisive.