TOP: Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens celebrates beating Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova during their quarter-final match on day eight of Wimbledon at the All England Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, yesterday. Flipkens won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. LEFT: Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska celebrates beating China’s Li Na during their quarter-final. Radwanska won 7-6, 4-6, 6-2.
LONDON: Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska downed China’s Li Na yesterday to set-up a Wimbledon semi-final against Sabine Lisicki, the slayer of Serena Williams.
Fourth-seeded Radwanska, the highest seed left following the exit of defending champion Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, beat Li, the sixth seed, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-2 in a gripping two-hour, 43 minute contest which was completed under the Centre Court roof.
Radwanska, the runner-up in 2012, took victory on an eighth match point.
The 24-year-old Pole, who had gone into the quarter-final with a 4-6 losing record against Li, also overcame an injury scare when she needed her right thigh tightly-strapped at the start of the deciding set.
“Li played unbelievable tennis. I was just happy to get through after struggling in the final set,” said Radwanska who had also needed three sets to beat Tsvetana Pironkova in the fourth round.
“I have played so much tennis in the last few days, that’s why I have the problem.”
Lisicki followed-up her shock defeat of Williams with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi to reach her second Wimbledon semi-final.
“It was an amazing match yesterday, but I had to make sure that I had calmed down and was ready for today,” said Lisicki, who completed victory in her fourth Wimbledon quarter-final just before rain began to fall.
“I have had experience of other years to help me. I also played the semi-finals in 2011 so that helped me be ready for today.”
Bespectacled Belgian outsider Kirsten Flipkens threw her name into the hat of Wimbledon’s giant-slayers as she beat 2011 champion Petra Kvitova 4-6 6-3 6-4.
All seemed on track when eighth seed Kvitova took the first set but she came unstuck in the second and called on the trainer after falling behind 5-2.
She popped a pill and had her temperature checked and although she appeared to get a second wind after surrendering the second set, a rush of blood when she charged to the net and fired a forehand volley long at break point down in the ninth game cost her dear.
Flipkens, kept her cool to serve out a momentous victory with an ace and will next face Marion Bartoli for a place in the final.
Bartoli won 6-4, 7-5 win over Sloane Stephens, the 17th-seeded American, despite being booed. But she fell foul of the fans when she demanded that play be stopped when she was leading 5-4, as light rain began to fall.
When the two tennis players resumed after two and a half hour wait, Stephens quickly dropped the first set and slipped 2-0 down in the second, losing the first nine points as the crowd, convinced that Bartoli’s complaints over the state of the court had been unjustified, jeered following their lengthy wait. AGENCIES
