“I am amazed,” whispered the legendary Martina Navratilova. Plíšková’s race at Wimbledon this year didn’t just get her excited. The tennis world is amazed not only by the high quality of its game, but above all by the way it presents itself on the courts of London.

Almost from the first round, Plíšková has an extremely positive effect, she smiles, she moves with unprecedented ease, she is bursting with energy. And she has terribly coolness.

“When Plíšková loses, we often blame her for being too casual. But when she wins, we congratulate her on how incredibly cool she can be under pressure,” described an interesting paradox from American journalist Steve Tignor of Tennis.com magazine. .

And he added with admiration: “She has never been so comfortable and at the same time under more pressure than in the third set of the semi-finals.”

The Czech Republic did not lose a hundred in the first five rounds, downgrading one opponent after another. She was no longer the favorite in the semi-finals, but Belarusian Aryna Sabalenkova played most of the game, although the score of 5: 7, 6: 4, 6: 4 does not suggest it at first glance.

“She served well, played well even under pressure and was a better player,” Navrátilová said, adding that she had never seen Plíšková play better.

All Center Court were also excited, for example from this pass:

The Czech opponent was also included in the superlatives by Sabalenková herself.

“I did all I could. But she was just too good. She was moving better, her serve was a big challenge for me, and she also came back amazingly well. There was nothing I could do,” said admitted the world number four at a press conference. conference.

Despite this, more Australians Ash Barty believes in the final. “I don’t know, it’s hard to guess. Anything can happen. But I would say Barty has a good chance of winning this grand slam,” she said.

The world number one will be the favorite and Plíšková suspects she will have a really tough change.

“With the game he shows, it can make a person really ugly. Her game is very difficult to face, especially on the grass, her slice will be uncomfortable. She is a very great player. The Grand Slam has already won. and want more. I don’t “I don’t expect anything easy, that’s clear. But I will certainly have chances, “said the 29-year-old Czech.

In the first Grand Slam final of her career, five years ago at the US Open, she also met the then world number one and lost in straight sets to Germany’s Angelique Kerberová.

“Second final and again against number one,” she laughed bitterly to the press, but then added, “But no, it couldn’t have been better. You want to play against the best in the final. sure, no one but I would want her there. “

Out of seven mutual matches, Plíšková won only two against Bartyová. However, the past encounters do not depress her in any way, on the contrary, she removes the positive from it.

“I know these defeats, but it was always a balanced game, a good game. I never played very well against her. And I know that I can win against her”, she recalled during the duel. eight US Open finals three years ago. , where she beat the Australian 6: 4, 6: 4.

Wimbledon writes of steadfast Plíšková and his calm under pressure:

However, Barty has handled the last three duels better. In the final in Miami 2019 7: 6, 6: 3, the same year in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions 4: 6, 6: 2, 6: 3 and this year in the quarter-finals of Stuttgart 2: 6, 6: 1, 7: 5.

“Plíšková is an incredible player. She has phenomenal service. She has played quite a few battles with Ash,” said world number one coach Craig Tyzzer the day before the match, highlighting the Czech tennis player’s ability to play. at the highest level. on all surfaces.

“Everywhere you play with her, you know it’s going to be tough. Serves, hits in the rally. You have to prepare for it and deal with it. And she’s playing really well here this year. make it to Wimbledon final, ”Tyzzer added.

The Wimbledon final between Ashleigh Barty and Karolína Plíšková can be watched on Saturday afternoon in a detailed report online at Aktuálně.cz.