Jasmine Paolini edged out a tearful Donna Vekic in a thrilling semi-final to become the first Italian to reach a Wimbledon women's singles final.

In one of the best matches of the tournament, Paolini missed two match points and was 8-7 behind in the 10-point tie-break before recovering to clinch an incredible victory.

The match lasted two hours 51 minutes, making it the longest women's singles semi-final at Wimbledon, with the Italian winning 2-6 6-4 7-6 (10-8).

Seventh seed Paolini will now face Czech 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova after she claimed a remarkable 3-6 6-3 6-4 comeback victory against Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion.

It means there will be a new name etched into the Venus Rosewater Dish following Saturday's final.

Paolini, who had never won a match at this tournament before this year but who has gained huge popularity with her enthusiasm, bubbly personality and incredible shot-making skills, said: "I was serving really bad so I am so happy. This match I will remember forever.

“I was just trying to think about what to do on the court, point by point, because I was really in difficulty,” he said.

Paolini, 28, is of mu Italian, has ties to Ghana through her maternal grandfather, who is Ghanaian.