Wimbledon 2024 LIVE: Tennis scores and updates as Novak Djokovic returns after Carlos Alcaraz in semi-finals

Jasmine Paolini admitted that if anyone had told her two months ago she would be in the Wimbledon final, she would think they were “crazy”.

Paolini, the 28-year-old seventh seed, won a Centre Court classic of a semi-final against Donna Vekic 2-6 6-4 7-6 (10/8) after a nerve-shredding match tie-break.

At two hours and 51 minutes it was the longest women’s semi-final in Wimbledon history, and at the end of it Paolini became the first Italian woman to reach the final, where she will face Barbora Krejcikova.

It is a remarkable run from a player who had not won a Tour-level match on grass until 15 days ago, in Eastbourne, and had lost in the first round in her only previous three visits to SW19.

“You are crazy, I would say, yes,” she said. “Yeah, I don’t have words. Just, yeah, you are crazy.

“Two grand slam finals in a row was crazy to believe, I think, no? I’m also surprising how at the moment, until now in this moment, I’m living this.

“I feel maybe Saturday I will be so nervous, I don’t know. But I feel also relaxed. I’m the same person. I’m doing the same things. Yeah, I don’t know. I’m surprised a little bit how I’m managing this.”

Barbora Krejcikova was inspired by the memory of her mentor Jana Novotna as she battled back to beat former champion Elena Rybakina and reach her first Wimbledon singles final.

Krejcikova, winner of the French Open in 2021 but never previously beyond the fourth round here, claimed a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory on Centre Court to set up a surprise final against Jasmine Paolini.

She will now hope to follow in the footsteps of her fellow Czech Marketa Vondrousova, who became the first unseeded winner of the women’s singles here 12 months ago, while Rybakina’s defeat guarantees an eighth different champion in eight years.

Novotna famously cried on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent after losing the 1993 final against Steffi Graf from a winning position before finally lifting the trophy five years later.

She took a teenage Krejcikova under her wing but died of cancer in 2017 aged only 49.

Krejcikova became emotional when taking about Novotna in her post-match interview, saying: “I’m thinking about Jana a lot. I have so many beautiful memories and, when I step on the court here, I’m just fighting for every single ball because that’s what I think she would want me to do.

“We talked about her matches here. It’s been some while so I can’t really tell you what it was about. But we definitely did. I hope she would be proud.”

For a while, this was the calm after the storm. After Jasmine Paolini and Donna Vekic ran themselves into the ground in Wimbledon’s longest-ever women’s semi-final, Elena Rybakina looked poised to navigate hers with only the occasional hint of resistance. While Paolini needed two hours and 51 minutes to fight back, reduce Vekic to tears, and position herself on the cusp of glory, Rybakina seemed likely to need about 60 minutes to extinguish Barbora Krejcikova’s dream. And after the Centre Court crowd gorged itself on the melodrama of the first semi-final, it appeared content with watching this encore politely but sleepily.

But those were assumptions, and as this match wore on, it became clear that assuming was a dangerous game.

As a 57^th and final unforced error sprung off Donna Vekic’s forehand and into the tramline, Jasmine Paolini ran towards her player box in complete and utter euphoria. This year’s breakthrough star on the tennis tour – that goes for men and women – has reached a second Grand Slam final in a matter of weeks. At the end of this titanic battle, she blew a kiss to her corner and then consoled her heartbroken opponent.

As the old adage goes, it felt cruel that somebody had to lose. Both Vekic and Paolini were contesting their first semi-final at Wimbledon and their desperation to reach Saturday’s showpiece was writ large throughout this absorbing battle of wills. In the end, only a first-to-10 final-set tie-break could separate them – and even then, there was barely a flip of a coin between them. Match of the tournament? Possibly so.

It was an incredible day in the women’s semi-finals yesterday, as both matches went to three sets for the first time in 20 years. Jasmine Paolini will face Barbora Krejcikova in Saturday’s final, in a match that will produce a new Wimbledon champion and the eighth different winner in eight years.

The Italian has played Djokovic six times, winning just once and was beaten from two sets to one  in the French Open third round last month.

Djokovic is playing in a record-extending 49th grand slam final and the winner will take on either Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final.

The Spaniard defeated Medvedev in straight sets in last year’s semi-finals before going on to beat Novak Djokovic in an epic men’s final.

It was a one-sided contest as Alcaraz ruthlessly exploited Medvedev’s deep return position, but the fifth seed was impressive in beating Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals.

“He was a little bit on fire. You could see it by the score,” Medvedev said about his opponent. “That’s where it’s tough to play against him because you know whatever shot you hit, he can hit a winner.”

Alcaraz faces fifth seed Daniil Medvedev as the 21-year-old Spaniard continues his title defence. The reigning champion defeated Medvedev in straight-sets at this stage last year in a one-sided semi-final, but the Russian was in impressive form in stunning World No 1 Jannik Sinner in the previous round.

Elsewhere, Britain’s Alfie Hewitt will aim to reach the men’s wheelchair singles final against third seed Gustavo Fernandez, with Hewitt then in action alongside Gordon Reid in the men’s wheelchair doubles semi-final against Dutch pair Tom Egberin and Maikel Scheffers.