Serena one was given a tough fight by the Czech world number 62 when she earned a break point in the opening game but Kvitova began to run out of steam in the second set.
The first four games of the second set went with serve, including one from each to love. Williams then had a break point and converted it when Kvitova hit the net. The Czech took the champion to deuce but Williams held on for a 4-2 lead.
In the next game, Kvitova served a double fault to give Williams a break point, but pulled it back to deuce after a thrilling rally. She then served another double fault to give Williams the game and leave the American serving for the match. Williams had three match points and blew two of them, but finally won it through a lucky net cord after an hour and 33 minutes.
Meanwhile, Russian 21st-seed Vera Zvonareva booked her berth in the Wimbledon final against Serena with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova. Zvonareva fought back from a set down to subdue Pironkova in a hard-fought semi-final to make it to the first grand slam final of her career.
Nadal ousts Soderling
World number one Rafael Nadal came from behind to win his grudge match with Sweden’s Robin Soderling 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 and book a place in the semi-finals.
The world number one recovered from an early set-back to win their quarter-final, using a dispute with the umpire over a line call to fire himself up and turn the match around and conquer it.
British Andy Murray’s low morale coming into Wimbledon after failing to get past the quarter-finals of any tournament since January dissolved in the quarter-finals as he overcame France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-2. Murray will face Nadal in the semi-finals at the All England Club at SW19.
Published in The Express Tribune,July 2nd, 2010.
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