Lindsay Davenport and Jim Courier disagree when predicting who will win the Wimbledon ladies’ final.
Centre Court will see Jasmine Paolini take on Barbora Krejčíková for the right to lift the Venus Rosewater dish for the first time.
Both players have been on a magical run at the All-England Club over the last fortnight and bid to go one step further and claim glory at SW19.
After two pulsating semi-finals, fans are expecting to see another exciting match between players that not many expected to reach this stage of the tournament.
Lindsay Davenport and Jim Courier offer prediction for Wimbledon ladies’ final
Paolini is into her second successive Grand Slam final after an epic victory over Donna Vekic in the longest women’s semi-final in Wimbledon history.
Krejčíková on the other hand produced a stunning comeback to defeat former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to reach Saturday’s championship match.
Ahead of the final, two former Grand Slam champions Davenport and Courier guessed who they think will win, and they took different points of view.
“I am leaning slightly towards Krejcikova, her remarkable attitude and her credentials leading in her,” the 1999 Wimbledon champion told Tennis Channel. “I think it’s Krejcikova’s time to win a second singles major.”
Courier, a former runner-up at Wimbledon, took the opposing view and said: “I have to go for Paolini then, just to make it fun. I’m taking the Italian!”
What have Jasmine Paolini and Barbora Krejčíková said ahead of the final?
Paolini came from a set down to defeat Vekic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(8) and continue her fine form in what has been a special season for the Italian.
Explaining what she has to do to win her first Grand Slam, the World number seven said: “To try to serve well — today I didn’t, I have to say to try. To return as many balls as possible, and to control the point.
“On the grass is tough to defend. So the goal Saturday will be that one for sure in terms of game, of the tactic.”
Krejcikova on the other hand, is into her second major final after winning the 2021 French Open and will aim to use that experience to help her on Saturday.
Inspired by the late Jana Novotna, her former coach and 1998 Wimbledon champion, the Czech player said: “She was telling me a lot of stories about her journeys here and how she was trying to win Wimbledon. I was so far [away] when we had this talk and now I’m here and wow, I’m in the final.
“I have so many beautiful memories and when I step on the court here I’m just fighting for every single ball because I’m sure that’s what she would want me to do. I miss her so much.”
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