Vekic sets up Olympics final with Zheng after comfortable semi-final win

Donna Vekic will play Qinwen Zheng in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics after easing to a straight sets victory over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.

The Croatian dominated proceedings from start to finish on Court Philippe Chatrier, comfortably triumphing 6-2 6-0 in just over an hour.

Vekic and Schmiedlova traded blows in the opening exchanges, but it would be the world number 21 who found the decisive break to go 3-2 up in the fifth game.

From then on, the Croatian was able to hold her serve to claim the first set, but the best was still to come.

Vekic would drop just five points in the entirety of the second set, storming to victory in a contest where she converted all four of her break points.

this girl is on FIRE Donna Vekic will play for the gold after defeating Schmiedlova 6-4, 6-0! @Olympics | #Paris2024 | #Tennis pic.twitter.com/iXCzkOIb0A

— wta (@WTA) August 1, 2024

Data Debrief: Vekic one match away from creating history

Vekic will be the first Croatian player in tennis history to secure a gold or silver medal at the Olympics in singles when she faces Zheng on Saturday.

In a dominant display, Vekic won seven games in a row compared to Schmiedlova's one, winning 24 of her 32 first serve points.