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Marketa Vondrousova reached her first Wimbledon final by ending Ukrainian wildcard Elina Svitolina's fairytale run in the semifinals in straight sets. The World No. 42 dominated her opponent with a series of stunning winners and drop shots in a 6-3, 6-3 victory that lasted 74 minutes.
The 24-year-old Czech star is the first unseeded woman to reach the Wimbledon final in the Open Era, and her exquisitely varied game proved too much for Svitolina.
The former French Open finalist will now face Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the title bout. Jabeur, last year's finalist, defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to advance to the finals.
Marketa Vondrousova attended a press conference following her victory and was asked if she would get a Wimbledon tattoo if she won the grass-court Major at the British capital.
The Czech responded jokingly that she has a bet with her coach that if she wins a Grand Slam title, her coach will get a tattoo, so she hopes to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish.
"I have a bet with my coach. If I win a Grand Slam, he's going to get [a tattoo], so I hope I will [win Wimbledon]. Yeah, I mean, we'll see what happens and what I'll do. For me, it's also art. I don't know, I just like it. I appreciate the people that do this," Vondrousova said.
"Yeah, I mean, I feel like it's also work and art, and I just appreciate the people," she added.
"After everything I've been through, it's not always easy to come back" - Marketa Vondrousova
Marketa Vondrousova then shifted her focus to her surgeries, saying that it is not always easy to stage a comeback after the suffering she has been through, and that she is grateful to be back on the court.
"Yeah, I mean, after everything I've been through, two surgeries, it's not always easy to come back. Yeah, you don't know if you can play at this level and if you can be back at the top and back at these tournaments," she said.
"I just feel like I'm just grateful to be on a court again, to play without pain. I'm just really grateful for it," she added.
Speaking of Ons Jabeur, who is currently between Marketa Vondrousova and the trophy, the Czech said:
"Yeah, she played finals here last year. She was playing also US Open final. She's used to playing finals in a Grand Slam. I mean, it's a final, so it's going to be tough match no matter who is there."
