LONDON: Marketa Vondrousova placed a backhand volley into an open court on her second championship point. A winner. She clenched her fist and fell on her back. The 24-year-old was on the grass for a few seconds, before getting back on her feet and embracing her opponent Ons Jabeur.
Then slowly, a towel wrapped over her shoulders, she went up to her box, which had grown considerably from the two-member entourage at the start of the tournament to what appeared like a whole neighbourhood.
Vondrousova, ranked 42, the first unseeded player to hold aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish, was in London as a tourist 12 months ago. Her left wrist, which had been operated upon twice last year, was in a cast. Unseeded, unheralded and without a sponsor she claimed the Wimbledon title, her first Grand Slam crown.
The left-hander produced classic, controlled tennis on Saturday, to stop the sixth-seeded Tunisian Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4. "I don't know what is happening, it is an amazing feeling," Vondrousova said. "After everything I have been through it is amazing I can stand here and hold this. Tennis is crazy!"
"The comebacks aren't easy, you don't know what to expect. I was hoping I could get back to this level and now this is happening. Thank you to my box, my little sister is here, she is crying! I mean it is amazing, tomorrow is our first wedding anniversary," Vondrousova said, looking at her husband Stepan Simek, who arrived from Prague on Friday.
"I made a bet with my coach (Jan Mertl), that if I won a Grand Slam he was going to get a tattoo too - I think we are going to go tomorrow!" A tattoo would be a good way to kick off celebrations for the champion, who took home £2. 35m. The runner-up claimed £1. 175m.
Jabeur, who had the crowd behind her, said: "This is the most painful loss of my career. It is going to be a tough day today for me. I will come back stronger. I promise I'll come back one day and win this tournament."