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Either Barbora Krejcikova or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova win the first single Grand Slam on Saturday in Paris
When both Barbora Krejcikova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova set foot on the Court Philippe-Chatrier on Saturday, they must assemble themselves quickly. Women are in unfamiliar waters, and both know they are only two (or three) installments away from achieving their lifelong dream.
Neither have ever faced the other on singles before, and they don’t know what it’s like to be alone on the field with a title called Grand Slam just one win away.
Unplanted Krejcikova has experience winning a double Grand Slam title in his corner, and Pavlyuchenkova has experience with junior Grand Slam championships and victories.
The first Grand Slam title of the older singles would mean so much to both women. Since the first round, they have quietly moved into their business; both have dropped higher-ranking opponents and exceeded many people’s expectations of them.
Now it’s about who can work with their coaches and team to get it right, only for the last time in Paris …
Krejcikova inspired and focused
Barbora Krejcikova took considerable strength from Maria Sakkar during their semi-finals
Krejcikova’s semi-final against Maria Sakkar goes into the open history of France as one of the best women’s semi-finals.
For three hours and 18 minutes, both players fought against each other and themselves. Neither had reached this stage before, and Krejcikova took the match point and then needed five of his own to defeat his tenacious opponent.
Throughout the Grand Slam, Krejcikova has spoken openly about how much the late Jana Novotna has shaped her as a person and a player.
“I really want to thank the Lord [Jan] Kodes to come, to support me, “Krejcikova said after winning Sakkar 7-5 4-6 9-7.” He wrote to me all week. Martina Navratilova also sat there, so thank you very much. I’m very thankful. You are my hero.
“And also Jana Novotna from the upstairs. She just really takes care of me and I really miss her. I really want to thank her. Because of her, I’m here. It’s really important to me to say this out loud.”
Barbora Krejcikova has spoken to the late Jana Novotna about her run to the finals
Krejcikova was unable to raise her legs after her semi-final win, but had to prepare for the women’s singles semi-finals with her partner Katerina Siniakova.
It’s the title the duo won earlier, in 2018, and despite the doubles (both women’s and mixed) where an additional eight hours and 58 minutes of court time were added to Krejcikova, the Czech athlete is ready for more.
“I just think it’s going to be fun,” he said of the singles final.
“I’m just going to really enjoy it because I never expected to get this far during this tournament. I’m just going to have fun, enjoy and fight to the end.”
Barbora Krejcikova’s road to the finals
| R1: Kristyna Pliskova 5-7 6-4 6-2 |
| R2: Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2 6-3 |
| R3: Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-2 |
| R4: Sloane Stephens 6-2 6-0 |
| QF: Coco Gauff 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 |
| SF: Maria Sakkari 7-5 4-6 9-7 |
‘What took you so long?’
At Roland Garros, 10 years ago, 19-year-old Pavlyuchenkova had made it to the quarterfinals and responded to Francesca Schiavone.
At 6-1 4-1 up it all planned before he lost his way and later the match. At the time, he didn’t know it would be a decade before he reached the same stage again in Paris.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who has been a prolific junior, suffered a tough semi-final defeat at Roland Garros in 2011
As an experience on that glaring day in 2011, no scars could be left, and perhaps because of that his semi-final against Tamara Zidansek, Pavlyuchenkova swung the set and 4-1 up.
This time he had a decade of experience going back – and not everything was positive – he took back his satisfaction and continued.
Once the match point was secured, Pavlyuchenkova took a moment from the starting position to take it, after all, the Grand Slam final has been a long time. She is the first woman to have played more than 50 main rounds before she reached her first final. The main draw for this year’s French Open is 52nd place for him.
A 14-year-old I would say, what took you so long? It’s hard to talk about it right now. I do not know. It has been a long road. I had my own long, special path. Everyone has different habits. I’m just happy to be in the finals and try to enjoy it.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Pavlyuchenkova, who was the world’s No. 1 junior at just 14 years old and a junior Grand Slam winner, hasn’t even given up on his goal of repeating it on an older level.
“As tennis players, winning the Grand Slam is, I think, the only goal,” he said after his semi-final win.
“That’s why we play tennis, for us it’s the biggest achievement you can get. I think about it all the time since I was younger, since I was a little kid, when I started playing tennis. You play. You want it. It’s been there, in my head, forever.”
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s road to the finals
| R1: Christina Mchale 6-4 6-0 |
| R2: Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2 6-3 |
| R3: Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 2-6 6-0 |
| R4: Victoria Azarenka 5-7 6-3 6-2 |
| QF: Elena Rybakina 6-7 (7-2) 6-2 9-7 |
| SF: Tamara Zidansek 7-5 6-3 |
Head-to-head
When it comes to the heads of these two virgin Grand Slam finalists, it’s a very short story. This is the first meeting of their career in a duel.
There is only one place in the world rankings, Pavlyuchenkova one in front of 32. Although the Russian has won 12 WTA singles, Krejcikova has only one of his names.
Barbora Krejcikova has now won 24 matches and lost only eight in 2021. Her semi-final win created an 11-match winning streak, and she has won 13 of the last 14.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is aiming to become only the fourth Russian woman to raise the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen. He has won the top 37 players in his career, but has not yet made it into the top ten.
The duo has met twice in doubles, once in 2018 in Miami and last year in Prague last year. Krejcikova and Siniakova won Pavlyuchenkova and her partner on both occasions.
The top two inches …
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this women’s final is how both women handle the situation mentally as they step into the unknown and the stakes are higher than ever.
It has been a long time for Pavlyuchenko, when Krejcikova has also had to show considerable patience in creating a single career after breaking so early in doubles.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s coach is her brother Alexander Pavlyuchenkov
Both women have significant points that need to be shown, and both have differences.
Pavlyuchenkova has a large front and variation next to it, while Krejcikova showed against Sakkar that he can absorb the force and force the opponent to be uncomfortable, on high high ground. Krejcikova’s double skill also gives her the softest hands and touches online.
So which athlete is able to pull the right levers at the right time under the pressure boiler that is the French Open Finals?
Pavlyuchenkova has worked with a sports psychologist, Krejcikova is clearly inspired by those on her team and unfortunately those who are no longer here.
If ever there was a sports competition that two main inches were able to conclude, then this is one.
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