LONDON: Jasmine Paolini sprinted across the lawn and chased down a drop shot midway through the Wimbledon semifinal. Donna Vekic replied with a heavily spun topspin lob. The Italian had no business getting to the ball, she was almost kissing the net cord when she turned and charged back to the baseline. Racket on ball, she got it over the net. Vekic, whose forehand was calling the shots until that point, thumped the ball wide.
Centre Court gasped. There was a hint of a smile on Paolini's expressive face, a reminder perhaps to never count her out. Vekic, hands on hips, also smiled, but for a whole different reason.
