Jabeur Back In Wimbledon Final, Ends Sabalenka’s #1 Hopes; Vondrousova Upends Svitolina

Ons Jabeur is back in the Wimbledon final for a second straight year.

The “Minister of Happiness” has a joyous after at Wimbledon under the roof, rallying from a set and a break down to deny Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3.

“Thank you to the crowd who kept me in the match. It was very difficult accepting her serves and her shots. Thank you guys for cheering me and believing in me,” Jabeur told the crowd.

“I’m proud of myself. Old me would have lost the match and would be home now. But I dug deep and found the strength.”

The powerful Sabalenka scraped out a tough breaker and then built a 4-2 lead in the second. But the big-bashing Belarussian couldn’t find the range to close it out. Sabalenka had multiple chances to go up 5-2 but failed. Jabeur would rally winning the last four games of the set to force a decider.

And in the third, it was all Jabeur who dominated Sabalenka who was just points from the top spot.

Jabeur had lost her last three matches to Sabalenka, and now moves into her third Grand Slam final where she’ll meet Marketa Vondrousova.

The Czech has been the surprise of the event. With just four career grass wins and a just one win in four previous tries at Wimbledon coming in, the 24-year-old cruised past Elina Svitolina today 6-3, 6-3.

“It was almost impossible because I didn’t play many matches on grass before,” she said. “My best one was second round. If it was on clay or hard, maybe I would say maybe it’s possible. But grass was impossible for me. It’s even crazier that this is happening.”

From 3-all in the first, Vondrousova ran off seven straight games to go up 4-0 in the second. The lefty had 4-all, 40-0 when Svitolina turned the tables. Vondrousova tightened up letting Svitolina back in. But Vondrousova snuffed out the fire and 4-3 and took the last two games to reach his second Slam final, first after all her left wrist injuries.

“I didn’t play for six months last year,” said Vondrousova. “I’m so grateful to be here playing like this again. I cannot believe it.

“Elina is such a fighter and a great person. I was crazy nervous the whole match. I just had to stay focused and fight for every game.

“It was a very tough match. She was coming back. She was playing some good tennis. I’m just very happy that I stayed focused and I stayed in my head. I’m happy with the way I finished it.”

On Saturday, a first Wimbledon and Grand Slam title will be up for grabs between the two. Vondrousova has won both meetings this year in consecutive matches for Jabeur who was injured in Australia in her first loss and then returned at Indian Wells after surgery only to face Vondrousova again.

This time, Jabeur will be healthy but Vondrousova is back playing high level tennis.

Both will big for their biggest career title. Jabeur will go for her fourth while Vondrousova her second and first since way back in 2017 Biel on hardcourt. It’s her first final since her Tokyo Olympics gold medal match.

“You know what to do,” Vondrousova said of having the experience of a Slam final before. “You know you have to have good people around you. Definitely it can help. I mean, I’m a bit older now also. I think I’m a bit different person. I’m just very happy to be through this again.”

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