Wimbledon (United Kingdom) (AFP)

We left Ashleigh Barty giving up on injury in the 2nd round at Roland Garros, we find the world No. 1 in the Wimbledon final where she will face Karolina Pliskova on Saturday, also ex-No. 1 and finalist in Major, for a first coronation on the London turf.

Barty made Thursday "one of the best games of (his) career" to dismiss the German Angelique Kerber, 28th and winner in 2018, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

For her part, Pliskova countered the power of Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (4th) to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

"It was a moment of relief, of pure happiness," Barty commented of the way she grasped her head in both hands after winning the match point.

"I didn't know if I would ever feel this way: having the chance to play a final at Wimbledon is ... incredible," she added.

Especially since she had not played between her abandonment at Roland Garros due to a painful hip and the start of the Major on grass.

Which does not worry him ... and obviously right.

- "Different preparation" -

"I have absolutely no lack of preparation. It's just that my preparation was different, unique," she said after qualifying for the quarter-finals.

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The 25-year-old Australian was eliminated in the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2019, a few weeks after her success at Roland Garros, the only Grand Slam title to date.

Against Kerber, she started on the hats and came off 3-0.

The 33-year-old German then entered her match, but without being able to catch up.

But it was she who managed the break from the start in the second set to break away in turn 3-0.

And while the set seemed to unfold like a layer of the first, this time in favor of the German, Barty changed the scenario by breaking it down to 4-5.

Led 6-5, the Australian lined up ten points in a row to win the tie break and break away 6-0 in this decisive game, with six match points.

Kerber saved three before giving in.

"I am very proud of myself and I will do everything on Saturday to win the tournament, Barty announced. To play this final will be the greatest experience of my life!"

- "No time to think" -

And it is Karolina Pliskova who will share this memorable experience.

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"It's crazy ... until then I had not made the round of 16," commented the 29-year-old Czech who had failed at the quarter-door in the last two editions of the Championships.

Against Sabalenka, she missed her chance to make the break eight times in the first set ("She served really well and I'm super happy that I stayed in the game and got out of it," said Pliskova. ) and gave up his own face-off on the only break point conceded ... on the set point.

But thereafter, she broke early in the next two innings and held on to her serve plays despite the Belarusian strong punches.

"The balls went so fast sometimes that we didn't have time to think about what to do," Pliskova laughed.

She is all the more satisfied with her level of play since she hadn't tasted it for some time.

"I hadn't played well in the weeks leading up to Wimbledon so now I feel a bit like a dream. I always believed that at one point or another I would get my game back and I'm very happy let it happen now, ”she commented after qualifying for the last four.

© 2021 AFP