Roland Garros, Krejcikova queen of Paris. Beat Pavlyuchenkova

Overcome Pavlyuchenkova 6-1 2-6 6-4 and dedicate the victory to the former Czech champion who died: “She told me to win a Grand Slam. It’s for her”

Barbora Krejcikova, 25, is the new Roland Garros champion. The Czech tennis player overtook Russia Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1 2-6 6-4 in the final and went to receive the Suzanne Lenglen cup directly from the hands of her illustrious compatriot Martina Navratilova. It is the return to success in a Grand Slam for one of the greatest tennis schools of all times, the Czech one, which had absolute champions of the caliber of Jaroslav Drobny in the 50s, Jan Kodes in the 70s, Ivan Lendl, Martina Navratilova and Hana Mandlikova in the 80s and then Jana Novotna in the 90s and in the new millennium.

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The final was not great: the Russian started with the break of the first game, but Krejcikova slipped in six consecutive games, closing the first fraction in just 32 minutes. In the second set the Russian, handicapped by a thigh problem and a knee problem, tried to react and did it with anger: 3-0, then after the 3-1, two more games to get to 5-1. Here Anastasia missed a set point, but closed in the next game, snatching the serve from her rival again. In the third set, however, there was balance up to 3 all, then Pavlychenkova lost the serve in the seventh game: the Czech flew forward 5-3, missed 2 match points, then another 2 at 5-4, but ended up closing in fifth when the last straight of the Russian went just outside after an hour and 58 minutes of play. Nastia Pavlyuchenkova did not need the jelly babies eaten during the medical timeout of the second set, an absolute novelty among the snacks.

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The special thought

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“It’s the most important day of my life, I want to thank all the people who supported me, starting with my team. And I can’t forget the person who motivated me more than anyone else, Jana Novotna, who will always have a place. special in my heart “. Jana Novotna, Wimbledon champion in 1998 passed away in 2017, she was the coach who took care of Krejcikova ten years ago making her a real player. She thanked everyone, speechless, incredulous: “I’m very happy, thanks for all the energy you gave me. I just tried to enjoy the game as much as possible. I have no words, I’m incredulous. I won a Grand Slam. When it failed. I’ve been through a really bad time, and I’m sure she’s watching me and I hope she’s as happy as I am. The last few words she said to me were ‘have fun and win a Grand Slam’. ”

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Barbora Krejcikova is the third Czech to win Roland Garros after Hana Mandlikova, champion in 1981, and Martina Navratilova who instead won the editions of 1982 and 1984. In her career Barbora has won the mixed at the Open d ‘three times in a row. Australia (2019, 2020 and 2021) and two other women’s doubles titles: Roland Garros and Wimbledon 2018 with compatriot Katerina Siniakova. Tomorrow, from starter to the final of the men’s singles between Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas, Barbora Krejcikova will play the final of the doubles together with Katerina Siniakova against the American Bethanie Mattek and the Polish Iga Swiatek. The last player to have won singles and doubles at Roland Garros was Mary Pierce in 2000, while in the Slams the last was Serena Williams who won singles and doubles at Wimbledon in 2016

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