2013 Tennis Thread

Djokovic, Ferrer reach quarter-finals

Novak Djokovic continued his march towards the Wimbledon final with a 6-1 6-4 7-6 last-16 win over Tommy Haas.
Djokovic finished off the veteran in three sets but only had an easy ride in the first, having to fight back from a break down in the second and settle for a tie-break victory in the third having been a break up.
Haas, blown off court in a 25-minute opening set, raised his game to break in the fifth game of the second set but Djokovic hit back to level at 4-4 with a cross-court backhand winner.
Normal service was soon resumed as Djokovic took the second set and moved 5-2 ahead in the third but Haas managed one last counter-****** to stretch the contest into a tie-break.
"I feel good about myself in this moment," Djokovic said. "I think I actually play better tennis on grass than I played two years ago when I won this tournament.
"I had a ***** setback in the third set and I allowed him an opportunity to come back to the match. But I played a great tiebreak and I'm really glad to finish in three."
With the light fading and the prospect of the match being finished under the roof lights, there was an added sense of urgency as Djokovic bossed the tiebreak.
"If I had lost the third set and maybe they go on and close the roof and go under the lights deep in the night, you can't predict the result after that," he said.
He will now play Tomas Berdych for a spot in the semis after the Czech star's 7-6 6-7 6-4 6-4 win over Bernard Tomic.
A tight encounter was dominated by serve for the first two sets before seventh seed Berdych asserted his authority.
"Tough to play him so it makes me feel even better to be here as a winner," the Czech said after mastering the 20-year-old Australian, who had beaten seeds Sam Querrey and Richard Gasquet on the way to the last 16.
"I was kind of struggling with his fast routine on serve, I couldn't get a return on it at all. But after the first two sets I felt much more confident."
Berdych upset Djokovic in the semi-finals three years ago before losing to Rafa Nadal in straight sets in the final. That victory was just one of two he has enjoyed over the Serb, including the last time they met - in Rome on clay in May.
The Serb has triumphed in their 13 other meetings.
"It's a nice challenge," Berdych added. "I know how to beat him, let's try for the same."
David Ferrer wore down Croatia's Ivan Dodig with his high-energy scrambling to move into the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a 6-7 (3) 7-6 (6) 6-1 6-1 win on Monday.
The Spanish fourth seed arrived 10 minutes late on Court Two and was slow to impose himself on the match, losing the first set in a tiebreak before winning the second the same way.
Dodig, ranked 49th in the world, could not maintain his consistency as the match wore on and his serve, which had been such a weapon in the early stages, faltered to allow Ferrer to turn the screw.
After failing to win a point on the Dodig serve for four successive games in the second set, Ferrer broke three times in the third and twice in the fourth to wrap it up.
Ferrer, who has now reached seven successive Grand Slam quarter-finals, will next face eighth seed Juan Martin Del Potro.
Del Potro muscled his way into the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a powerful 6-4 7-6(2) 6-3 win over Italy's Andreas Seppi.
The Argentine's knee was heavily strapped following a nasty fall in his third-round match, but his slightly cumbersome movement was no barrier to a straight-sets demolition of the 28th-ranked Seppi.
He broke in the seventh game of the first set before wrapping it up in 52 minutes, stayed solid to come through the second in a tiebreak, before breaking in the second game of the third set to effectively end the Italian's resistance.
Poland has waited 33 years for a male quarter-finalist at a Grand Slam but two arrived within a few of minutes of each other at Wimbledon on Monday as Jerzy Janowicz and Lukasz Kubot set up an unlikely last-eight clash.
The big-serving Janowicz edged past Juergen Melzer 3-6 7-6 6-4 4-6 6-4, collapsing to the court in disbelief after finally subduing the Austrian veteran.
Then 130th-ranked Kubot launched into his party piece can-can dance routine to celebrate a 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory over fellow outsider Adrian Mannarino of France.
Janowicz, seeded 24, struggled to get to grips with the left-handed Melzer in the early stages on the tight confines of Court 12, but gradually turned up the heat.
Several exchanges with the umpire and even some back-chat with Melzer's courtside team fired up the towering Pole who produced some ear-splitting roars after winning crucial points.
When he broke Melzer's serve to lead 3-2 in the fourth set Janowicz seemed to have taken control but his concentration wavered and the 32-year-old Melzer hit back to drag an entertaining, and occasionally fractious, contest to a decider.
This time Janowicz got the break and did not falter to go one round better than last year when he reached the third round on his Grand Slam debut after qualifying.
The winner of his match against Kubot, who benefited from a walkover against Rafa Nadal's conqueror Steve Darcis in the second round, will be the first Polish man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final.
Wojtek Fibak was the last Polish man to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final, losing three times in the last eight in 1980.

Round four results

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 13-Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-1 6-4 7-6(4)

2-Andy Murray (Britain) beat 20-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-4 7-6(5) 6-1

4-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 6-7(3) 7-6(6) 6-1 6-1

7-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Bernard Tomic (Australia) 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 6-4 6-4

8-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat 23-Andreas Seppi (Italy) 6-4 7-6(2) 6-3

24-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 3-6 7-6(1) 6-4 4-6 6-4

Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Kenny De Schepper (France) 6-4 6-4 6-4

Lukasz Kubot (Poland) beat Adrian Mannarino (France) 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4
 
Serena Williams out after shock loss to Lisicki

Sabine Lisicki pulled off a remarkable upset to defeat top seed Serena Williams 6-2 1-6 6-4 in the last 16.
Serena, the reigning champion and winner of the French Open, has looked untouchable since the start of the tournament, and was unbeaten in 34 matches going into the last-16 clash.
But Lisicki, the 23rd seed with a strong record at Wimbledon in recent years, paid no heed to the form book and raced through the first set 6-2.
The champion roared back, levelling the match with a nine-game winning streak and taking an immediate break in the deciding set.
But once again Lisicki was not done, twice breaking back to get on terms in the third and then converting another to serve out at 5-4.
She spurned a match point, but took her second before breaking into tears in front of the rapturous Centre Court crowd.
"I didn't play the big points good enough," Serena reflected afterwards of her loss. "I had a little hesitation. That explains it."
She also added that Lisicki, a 23-year-old who is has now reached the last eight at Wimbledon for the fourth time, could not be considered a shock winner.
"Every time I step out on the court I'm the favourite. I've got used to that.
"[But] it's not a shock. She plays really good on grass. She has a massive serve so I went into it knowing it's not going to be an easy match."
After dropping just 11 games in the first week, her surprise exit, which mirrored those of former men's champions Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal last week, ended Williams's win streak at 34 matches and it was only her fourth loss in the last 76.
Lisicki took advantage of a somewhat sluggish Williams to seize the first set, her strong serve and fizzing groundstokes at times leaving the multiple grand slam winner rooted to the spot.
The American, aghast, annoyed and berating herself after each error, desperately searched for the missing aggression and from 1-0 down in the second, reeled off nine games in a row.
She made no unforced errors to breeze through the second set and appeared to have knocked the stuffing out of her reeling opponent.
But the doubts began to creep back into her game as each time she appeared to be in control, the German answered with breaks of her own before Williams dropped her serve to trail 5-4.
Williams saved one match point, then ****** a break point of her own before Lisicki sealed the biggest victory of her career with a rasping forehand winner.
Lisicki next meets Kaia Kanepi for a place in the semi-finals, after the Estonian overcame British hope Laura Robson 7-6(6) 7-5.
Li Na romped into the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a 6-2 6-0 victory over Roberta Vinci.
The 2011 French Open champion served for the first set at 5-0 up but was broken by the doubles specialist, who raised loud cheers on Court Three as she finally registered a game against her name on the scoreboard.
The 30-year-old Vinci, seeded 11th, held her next service game but from then on Li was an unstoppable ***** as she won the next seven games to reach the last eight at Wimbledon for the third time.
The Chinese favourite will next face 2012 runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 4-6 6-3 6-3.
The Polish fourth seed proved too strong for her 76th-ranked Bulgarian opponent and last year's runner-up is the highest ranked woman in the last eight.
Radwanska, 24, looked listless and ill-at-ease on Court Two. Her serve lacked rhythm and she dropped it twice before getting a toe-hold in the set.
Admonishing herself for uncharacteristic errors, she saved four set points, two on her own serve, before succumbing to the Bulgarian's big forehand in a baseline rally.
But the former Wimbledon junior champion has an-all court-game that suits grass and she found her range in the second set, commanding the net and volleying with precision.
It was a low-key match in front of a subdued crowd which has become used to upsets after the first-week departures of Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Sara Errani.
But Radwanska said she felt no great pressure as the highest seed standing
"It doesn't mean anything, especially here. So many weird scores," she said. "There's still a lot of players playing really great tennis. Every match is a different story. Doesn't matter what ranking they have."
Petra Kvitova flew the flag for former Wimbledon champions on Monday when she became the first to make the quarter-finals with a 7-6 6-3 win over doughty Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.
After the high-profile departures of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova in the first week - and then Williams - Kvitova sneaked through on a blustery Court Three before the main fourth-round action had started on the big show courts.
It was not all plain sailing for the 2011 champion, who has yet to rediscover the consistency that took her to world number two 20 months ago.
"I was pretty nervous today...I didn't play my best, especially in the first set. But it's important to win the last point which was what I did," Kvitova told a news conference.
Suarez Navarro, 24, the last Spanish woman in the draw, harried her from the baseline, moving fast, returning early and chasing down the Czech's booming groundstrokes.
She was watched in the stands by Fed Cup captain Conchita Martinez, the only Spanish woman to win the Wimbledon title when she beat Martina Navratilova in the 1994 final.
Eighth seed Kvitova, 23, broke the Spaniard's serve and should have finished off the first set in the 12th game but nervy shots allowed Suarez Navarro to break back, using her rare and elegant single-handed backhand to stinging effect.
With big names like the injured Victoria Azarenka and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki gone, Kvitova was clearly feeling the weight of expectation.
"Everybody is talking about that I'm the highest seeded player in my half, I'm supposed to be already in the final. It's not really easy to hear that," she said.
But the statuesque Czech's power eventually proved too much for her more diminutive opponent and she pressured Suarez Navarro into slapping a forehand into the net to take the set 7-5 in the tiebreak.
Emerging victorious from a tight tiebreak appeared to energise Kvitova and she bowled through the second set in 34 minutes, using her big left-handed serve, long reach and strength to quell her Spanish opponent.
Kvitova will play 20th seed Kirsten Flipkens in the quarter-finals on Tuesday after the Belgian overcame Flavia Pennetta.
"I lost against her last time in Miami. So I hope that I can play better tennis than in the last match," she said.
"We've never played on the grass, which is quite difficult."
American Sloane Stephens beat Monica Puig to reach her first Wimbledon quarter-final on Monday just as compatriot Serena Williams's defeat had thrown the draw wide open.
With fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the other half, the 20-year-old Stephens is now being talked about as potential Wimbledon champion a bit sooner than expected.
The only American to reach the last eight of the men's or women's singles refused to be sucked in by the hype, though, after a 4-6 7-5 6-1 win over Puerto Rican Puig with whom she has trained with regularly at the same Florida base.
"I saw (Kirsten) Flipkens, she fell to the ground today. You would have thought she just won Wimbledon," Stephens, who reached the Australian Open semi-final this year having beaten Williams in Melbourne.
"I think I was just kind of the whole match really calm. I was happy to get the win, so I wasn't too like overjoyed."
Seventeenth seed Stephens has a few Grand Slam titles to win before comparisons with 16-times major champion Williams can be taken seriously but she lacks nothing in confidence.
She even accused Williams of "scaring people" and "intimidation" earlier this year in a Time magazine article.
Asked her reaction on Serena saying in her press conference that she could go on to win the title, Stephens offered an almost sarcastic "Thanks".
"I'm top 20 in the world for a reason," she said when asked about a recent return to form after a dip. "I didn't like all of a sudden snap my fingers and I got good.
"I put in a lot of work, took a lot of sweat, like bad hair days, all that other stuff, to get to where I was. I realise that I just couldn't let that go to waste."
Stephens, the highest-ranked of a growing bunch of American women in the top 100, said thoughts of winning the title had not yet entered her head, especially with former runner-up Marion Bartoli up next and then possibly 2011 champion Petra Kvitova.
"Playing a grand slam, every occasion is big, every quarter is big, even if you're playing like Timbuktu Court, Aorangi," she said.
"I'll go out and play hard. I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited. Hopefully I'll have a good match and have fun."

Round four results

23-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat 1-Serena Williams (U.S.) 6-2 1-6 6-4

4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 4-6 6-3 6-3

6-Li Na (China) beat 11-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-2 6-0

8-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat 19-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 7-6(5) 6-3

15-Marion Bartoli (France) beat Karin Knapp (Italy) 6-2 6-3

17-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) beat Monica Puig (Puerto Rico) 4-6 7-5 6-1

20-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) beat Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 7-6(2) 6-3

Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) beat Laura Robson (Britain) 7-6(6) 7-5
 
Order of play: Tuesday July 2

The order of play for day eight at Wimbledon, featuring all four ladies' quarter-finals.

Centre Court (1300 UK time)

4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) v 6-Li Na (China)

8-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) v 20-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium)

Court One (1300 UK time)

23-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) v Kaia Kanepi (Estonia)

17-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) v 15-Marion Bartoli (France)
 
Janowicz, Kubot no longer Poles apart at Wimbledon

What should have been a ***** showdown between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal has turned into the battle of Poland as Lukasz Kubot and Jerzy Janowicz unexpectedly find themselves in Wimbledon's quarter-final mix along with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
The shock exits of seven-times champion Federer and Nadal during a topsy turvy opening week at the grasscourt major paved the way for Kubot to set up the unlikeliest of quarter-finals against 6-foot-8 countryman Janowicz.
"Whatever happens one of us will be in the semi-finals which makes history for Polish tennis. We are happy about what's going on right now - it's magical," said a beaming Kubot, who has entertained the crowds with his high-kicking celebratory can-can routine.
The two friends are poles apart in the rankings, with Kubot a lowly 130th while world number 22 Janowicz has been tipped as the next big thing in tennis.
On the eve of Poland's match of the century, though, the two stood side-by-side draped in their country's red-and-white flags as the world's media bombarded them with questions.
While Kubot and Janowicz are two new faces at what the players call the 'business end of a grand slam' Murray and Djokovic are old hacks.
Top seed Djokovic, in pursuit of a second title at the All England Club, will be contesting his 17th consecutive major quarter-final against 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych.
The Czech beat six-times Grand Slam winner Djokovic in their only previous clash on grass - at Wimbledon in 2010 - and in their most recent meeting, but the Serb will be more eager to rely on the overall 13-2 win-loss record he holds when the two lock horns on Wednesday.
Djokovic's expected final date, second seed Murray, has made it through to his sixth successive quarter-final here and having won all 12 sets he has contested in the tournament, he is shaping up well to go one better than his runner-up finish to Federer last year.
Fernando Verdasco will be eager to end the US Open champion's hopes of becoming the first British man in 77 years to hold aloft the Challenge Cup.
DAUNTING PROSPECT
However, the clay-loving Spaniard might find his debut quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon a daunting prospect as he will also have to deal with Murray's 15,000-strong fan club.
Much was made of Verdasco's fellow Spaniard David Ferrer being installed as the fourth seed above 12-times major winner Nadal but the 31-year-old proved his worth by reaching his second success quarter-final here.
He will take on gentle giant Juan Martin Del Potro, who broke into the big time when he won the 2009 U.S. Open but has not made it to the final four of a slam since.
The Argentine is still feeling the effects of an on-court collision with a chair during his third-round match and hopes his battered knee will stand up to the test of taking on the inexhaustible Ferrer.
"The ankle is good and the knee is not good. The knee is bothering me a lot. I couldn't extend the knee 100 percent," said Del Potro, who is no stranger to injury woes after his 2010 season was wrecked by a wrist problem.
"I've had many injuries in the past. But this time I don't have luck, and that's it. I was winning so easy the third round. Just for run a dropshot, I twist my ankle and hyper extended my knee. I will do all the treatments to see if I can be better.
"Winning here on grass for one Argentinian guy could be very, very special."
 
Radwanska sets up Lisicki semi-final

Agnieszka Radwanska booked a place in the semi-finals of Wimbledon after a topsy-turvy win over Li Na on Centre Court.
The Polish fourth seed came through rain delays and injury problems to win through 7-6(5) 4-6 6-2.
Radwanska seeking her first grand slam title after losing in three sets to Serena Williams last year, set up a semi-final showdown with German Sabine Lisicki having staved off a Li fightback, the distraction of two rain interruptions and then squandering seven match points.
Massage, treatment, rest and watching compatriots Jerzy Janowicz and Lukas Kubot clash in the men's quarter-finals on Wednesday are foremost in her plans before the fourth seed faces German Sabine Lisicki on Thursday.
"It's not really the injury. My legs are a bit overused. A lot of treatment and massage tomorrow and I will be ready for the semi-final," she told reporters.
Radwanska came through another three-set battle with Tsvetana Pironkova on Monday having also been taken the distance by Madison Keys in the third round.
"A lot of tennis the last couple days, so it's been really tough," she said.
"Especially on grass... everything comes to your legs."
The Pole has, at least, not been getting as closely acquainted with the green turf as some at this year's championships with slipping and sliding players eyeing the courts with suspicion and scepticism.
"Just good shoes," came a smiling Radwanska's answer when asked how she was keeping a sure footing.
Former French Open champion Li ****** chances to take the opening set and then after a short rain break, the sixth seed hit back to take the second from 4-2 down as her aggressive strokes to the corners of the court began to penetrate.
But Radwanska, who had her right thigh heavily strapped up before the start of the decider, regrouped under the now-closed roof following a second rain delay.
She secured a double break but having spurned two match points at 5-1 up, and then, astonishingly another five in the next game. With nerves frayed, she could finally lift her arms to the skies as the never-say-die Li went long.
Top seed and five-times champions Williams was beaten by Lisicki in the fourth round on Monday, following chief rivals Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova out of the tournament.
Being in the final of a grand slam, this is a very good experience... especially that I'm in the semi-final of the same grand slam," she said.
"So I know how it is, what I have to do, you know, to be in the final again.
"The bigger pressure is in the first week. Now I'm just more relaxed. I will just go on court and try my best again without that big pressure."
Radwanska, at four, is the highest seed remaining after the demise of Williams, beaten by Lisicki in the fourth round, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova.
"I think it was huge surprise for everyone, I guess," she said of Serena's exit.
"The last couple of months she was winning pretty much everything."
German Lisicki, meanwhile, lived up to her status as the new Wimbledon favourite with a clinical 6-3 6-3 demolition of Kaia Kanepi.
Lisicki, who knocked out defending champion and top seed Serena Williams in the fourth round, broke Kanepi's serve in the opening game of the match on Court One and wrapped up the first set in 33 minutes.
Estonian Kanepi took advantage of three Lisicki double faults to break serve for a 2-1 lead in the second set but the German 23rd seed reeled off four games in a row to stand on the brink of the last four.
Kanepi held serve to stop the rot but Lisicki sealed victory in just 65 minutes with a forehand volley on her third match point.
"I feel much fresher, fitter, better than two years ago," Lisicki, who lost to Sharapova in the 2011 semis, said.
"I was just as focused as yesterday because ... I knew it's going to be tough after yesterday's match to just keep the level up.
"But I think I did a very good job to go for my shots and play smart. It had to be a different game today."
 
Bartoli outbreaks Stephens to reach semis

Marion Bartoli is within one match of a surprise second Wimbledon final appearance after beating American Sloane Stephens 6-4 7-5 in a bizarre rain-interrupted quarter-final on Tuesday that featured eight successive breaks of serve.
There was little to choose between the two players until a two and a half hour rain break late in the first set, which the hyper-active French 15th seed took immediately upon resumption.
There followed an extraordinary second set that included eight successive dropped service games, most of them to love as Stephens, the only remaining American in the either singles competition, garnered only one point in four service games.
Both women finally managed a hold each before Bartoli, who lost to Venus Williams in the 2007 final and has yet to drop a set in five matches in this tournament, broke to love again to triumph.
 
Flipkens dumps out Kvitova, meets Bartoli in semi

There will be a new champion at Wimbledon after Kirsten Flipkens beat 2011 champion Petra Kvitova in the quarter-final.
Kvitova, the last champion left in the draw, took the first 6-4, but the Belgian kept her cool to take the next two sets 6-3 6-4 under the Centre Court roof.
She will meet 15th seed Marion Bartoli in the semi-finals after the Frenchwoman overcame talented American Sloane Stephens 6-4 7-5.
Bartoli beat Stephens in a bizarre rain-interrupted quarter-final that featured eight successive breaks of serve on Tuesday to leave the French 15th seed one match away from a surprise second Wimbledon final.
Bartoli, beaten by Venus Williams in the 2007 final, snaffled the first set by winning the first two points played after a two and a half hour rain break.
There followed an extraordinary second set that included eight straight dropped service games as Stephens, the only remaining American in the either singles competition, garnered only one point in four service games.
Both women finally managed a hold each before Bartoli, yet to drop a set in five matches in the tournament, broke to love to secure a semi-final clash with Belgian Kirsten Flipkens who upset 2011 champion Petra Kvitova.
"I've felt great here since 2007, obviously grass suits me," said Bartoli who was not so enamoured with the lush lawns when refusing to play on in light drizzle late in the first set.
"The courts are already a bit slippery anyway and they can get dangerous when it gets wet so I don't know why the crowd got against me for that," she said after being booed for making her stand while Stephens was keen to play on.
"I was returning extremely well but not serving well - the opposite of before the rain delay really. I just need to put the two together in the next match."
Having been denied their expected roll call of star names by last week's upsets, the crowd took a while to comprehend what was different about Tuesday's match but gradually realised that it was the peace and quiet.
After years of suffering the screeching and grunting that has pervaded the top end of the women's game, Number One court was an oasis of calm.
Bartoli is always a blur of movement, leaping and fidgeting like a toddler at the table, but she does go through her manic routine quietly.
Stephens is off the scale, seemingly without emotion at any stage of a contest that turned into "Sloane motion" v perpetual motion.
Even during the drizzle debate, Stephens stood phlegmatically at the base line playing no part in the discussions as the crowed slow-clapped and hooted.
The match went with serve until the covers came on at 5-4 to Bartoli, deuce on the Stephens serve.
When play resumed the Frenchwoman took the first two points, the decider courtesy of a shocking netted forehand by Stephens, to seal the set.
The 20-year-old American had emerged from the rain break dressed for an Arctic expedition and played as if she would rather have been back in a warm changing room as Bartoli took the first two games of the second set to love.
The second was the first of a crazy run of eight breaks in a row, most of the points handed over by errors.
Stephens, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals in January, eventually started to land her free-swinging ground shots but she lacked control and was unable to stay in any rally long enough to lever a regular advantage.
Bartoli's punchy double-handers were similarly inconsistent before both players did manage to hold serve.
Stevens needed one more hold to ***** a tiebreak but she produced another horror show, broken to love as Bartoli strode into the most unlikely of semi-finals with a growing belief that this could be her year.
Kvitova joined the likes of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Li Na on the All England Club scrapheap after being suffocated under Centre Court's closed roof.
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 ***** when she charged to the net and fired a forehand volley long at break point down in the ninth game cost her dear.
Bespectacled Belgian outsider Flipkens, who is known as Flipper on the tour, kept her cool to serve out a momentous victory with an ace.
It's amazing, it's more than a ***** come true. To be in the semi-finals of a grand slam is ridiculous," a wide-eyed Flipkens, nicknamed Flipper, said as she tried to digest her success.
"I still can't believe it"
One person who did believe in her was her friend and training partner Kim Clijsters.
"Still drying my eyes :-)) So proud of how @FlipperKF handled the big occasion for the first time," the former world number one tweeted even before Flipkens had walked off court.
Kvitova had been installed as a title favourite after all the pre-tournament front-runners fell by the wayside but she paid the price for a rush of ***** in the ninth game of the third set when she charged to the net and fired a forehand volley long at break point down.
The Czech eighth seed, who gulped down a tablet and had her temperature checked when trailing 5-2 in the second set, was left to swallow a bitter pill as she watched Flipkens fire an ace on match point to seal her fate.
A stony-faced Kvitova was not convinced that it had been a winning shot, challenging Hawk-eye to overturn the call.
To all those watching on Centre Court, it only delayed the inevitable as the puff of white chalk dust had confirmed Kvitova's demise.
As Flipkins looked forward to her semi-final against 2007 runner-up Marion Bartoli, there was only one person she wanted to thank.
"Kim (Clijsters) was one of the few people last year still believing in me, I really have to thank her. People who were believing me I could count on one hand, but I'm just enjoying every moment now."
 
Flipper Flipkens knocks out Kvitova to reach semis

Bespectacled Belgian outsider Kirsten Flipkins threw her name into the hat of Wimbledon's giant-slayers as she beat 2011 champion Petra Kvitova 4-6 6-3 6-4 on a floodlit Centre Court to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals on Tuesday.
Kvitova had been the last grand slam champion left in the women's draw but she joined the likes of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Li Na on the All England Club scrapheap after being suffocated under Centre Court's closed roof.
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 ***** when she charged to the net and fired a forehand volley long at break point down in the ninth game cost her dear.
Flipkins, who is known as Flipper on the tour, kept her cool to serve out a momentous victory with an ace and will next face 2007 runner-up Marion Bartoli for a place in Saturday's final.
 
Leg-weary Radwanska in relaxed state of mind

Good shoes, a relaxed mind after negotiating a perilous tournament for top seeds and her experience 12 months ago are standing Agnieska Radwanska in good stead for a tilt at another run to the Wimbledon final.
The Pole eked every last sinew of energy out of her aching legs to reach the semi-finals on Tuesday after finally dousing Li Na's flame with a battling 7-6(5) 4-6 6-2 victory in a gripping Centre Court match.
Radwanska, her right thigh tightly strapped after a medical timeout at the start of the second set, and requiring attention to her left leg before serving for the match at 5-2 in the third, held her nerve to prevail after spurning seven match points.
Massage, treatment, rest and watching compatriots Jerzy Janowicz and Lukas Kubot clash in the men's quarter-finals on Wednesday are foremost in her plans before the fourth seed faces German Sabine Lisicki on Thursday.
"It's not really the injury. My legs are a bit overused. A lot of treatment and massage tomorrow and I will be ready for the semi-final," she told reporters.
Radwanska came through another three-set battle with Tsvetana Pironkova on Monday having also been taken the distance by Madison Keys in the third round.
"A lot of tennis the last couple days, so it's been really tough," she said.
"Especially on grass... everything comes to your legs."
The Pole has, at least, not been getting as closely acquainted with the green turf as some at this year's championships with slipping and sliding players eyeing the courts with suspicion and scepticism.
"Just good shoes," came a smiling Radwanska's answer when asked how she was keeping a sure footing.
The 24-year-old has long been in the upper echelons of the women's game but it was not until last year that she reached her maiden grand slam final at the All England club.
Plenty wrote her off even before she even took to the court against Serena Williams but she made the nervous American work for her fifth Wimbledon title in three intriguing sets.
That experience is helping her maintain her focus this year.
"Being in the final of a grand slam, this is a very good experience... especially that I'm in the semi-final of the same grand slam," she said.
"So I know how it is, what I have to do, you know, to be in the final again.
"The bigger pressure is in the first week. Now I'm just more relaxed. I will just go on court and try my best again without that big pressure."
Radwanska, at four, is the highest seed remaining after the demise of Williams, beaten by Lisicki in the fourth round, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova.
"I think it was huge surprise for everyone, I guess," she said of Serena's exit.
"The last couple of months she was winning pretty much everything."
 
Flipkens defies doctor's orders to light up Wimbledon

It is just as well Kirsten Flipkens is not one to follow doctors' orders. If she had, her career would have been long over - not once but twice.
The bespectacled Belgian proved that it was the doctors, and not she, who were short-sighted as she defied the odds to reach her first grand slam semi-final on Tuesday with a stunning win over 2011 champion Petra Kvitova.
"I've been through a lot of ups and downs throughout my career. I've had so many injuries," Flipkens told a news conference after becoming the first Belgian to reach the last four at Wimbledon since Justine Henin in 2007.
"Even after the juniors. I was the world junior champion (in 2003) and the year after I had a really bad back injury. All doctors said my career should have been over."
The medical experts presented her with another bleak prognosis in April 2012 when four ***** clots were discovered in her leg, putting her at risk of a pulmonary embolism or thrombosis.
What they, or many of those around Flipkens, had not counted her on was her never-say-die attitude.
"I'm just the kind of person that doesn't like to break, and I keep on fighting back every time. I don't regret my decision last year and I'm still fighting back," said Flipkens, who until this year had never gone beyond the third round of a slam.
The fightback was no mean feat as last year's emergency meant her ranking plummeted to 262nd in the world in June.
It left her so far out in the tennis wilderness, she was not even deemed good enough to play in the qualifying rounds.
"Last year, I didn't get into the qualifying of Wimbledon. I was ranked 262; today I'm a semi-finalist in a Grand Slam," grinned the 27-year-old who will face Marion Bartoli for a place in the final.
"It's a ***** - more than a ***** - coming true."
For Flipkens, the fairytale run was "even more special" as she made it into the last four "on my mum's birthday".
Her triumph completed a Wimbledon wipeout as Kvitova's exit meant no grand slam champions made it into the women's semi-finals.
With Agnieszka Radwanska taking on Serena Williams's conqueror Sabine Lisicki in the other semi-final, Flipkens knows that there may be no better time to become the first Belgian to triumph at Wimbledon.
"If you would have told me at the beginning of the tournament who was going to be in the last four, I would never say the four who are still in actually," she said.
"I think I'm the most surprising name in the last four but I don't really care!"
Should she win her next two matches to hold aloft the Rosewater Dish on Saturday, 11 million Belgians will be eager to show just how much they care.
 
Order of play: Wednesday July 3

The order of play for day 10 at Wimbledon, featuring all four mens' quarter-finals.

Centre Court (1300 UK time)

4-David Ferrer (ESP) v 8-Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v 2-Andy Murray (GBR)

Court One (1300 UK time)

1-Novak Djokovic (SRB) v 7-Tomas Berdych (CZE)

Lukasz Kubot (POL) v 24-Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
 
Murray survives scare to reach semi-final in 5 sets

Miserable Scottish git Andy Murray has just completed an epic comeback from two sets down to beat Fernando Verdasco 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-4 7-5 in a 3 1/2 hour epic. After dropping the first two sets after a bit of bad luck, he knuckled down and broke early in the third, and there was an air of inevitability about his comeback from that point on, once he showed that the Spaniard hadn't broken him mentally. He just kept plugging away, chasing lost causes in a way you can never imagine his spiritual predecessor Tim Henman doing, and eventually broke Verdasco once again and won the decisive service game to love.

Jerzy Janowicz in the semi now, and if people are just writing off the chances of an upset in favour of a Djokovic/Murray final, then they probably didn't see the difficulties Murray had here.
 
McEnroe enjoys new role as comedy fall guy

John McEnroe was once the "bad boy" of Wimbledon, berating linesmen and umpires alike and famously screaming "You cannot be serious".
The 54-year-old silver fox had a new role on Thursday as comedy fall guy to Iranian Mansour Bahrami in the gentlemen's senior invitation doubles on a packed outside court.
The crowd whooped and cheered and the score - John and his ******* Patrick beat Mansour and Frenchman Henri Leconte 6-1 6-4 - was irrelevant.
Even with a few creaking limbs, the quartet demonstrated all their silky skills of old and the fans lapped it up.
Bahrami, who delights in playing to the gallery, even shouted out "You cannot be serious" in mocking tones to McEnroe.
The Iranian earned by far the biggest cheer of the day when he rushed to the back of the court, played a glorious trick shot between his legs and left the McEnroe brothers flummoxed and flat-footed at the net.
John McEnroe's elegant serve is unchanged. He still can fire them down at over 100 miles an hour and for the grand slam winner turned television commentator, the competitive fires are clearly still burning.
But he too knows how to play to the gallery.
After hitting one particularly wayward double fault that landed beyond the tramlines, he jokingly shouted out "Are you sure?" to the umpire.
Another McEnroe double fault provoked a yell of delight from Bahrami who taunted him, shouting "Yes, come on."
In the first two rounds, Wimbledon crowds have got to see McEnroe having a great time. None of the sulking, none of the sound and fury, just tennis as pure fun. Temper tantrums were just a memory.
In the first round on Wednesday, the brothers beat the Australians Peter McNamara and Paul McNamee in a match that had more Macs than a fast food restaurant.
When someone shouted out "C'mon Mac," John McEnroe was quick to shout back "Which one?"
On Thursday, he wisely took a back seat in the comedy duel with Bahrami, a master at bringing the house down with his clowning antics.
Readying to receive McEnroe's serve, he even adopted a lumbering King Kong pose to try to put his opponent off.
The American's love/**** relationship with the crowd is now all adoration. The fans roared their approval and gave him a big cheer at the end when the former "Mr Grouch" applauded them back.
 
Djokovic coasts into semi-finals, faces brave Del Potro

Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro will meet in the Wimbledon semi-finals after contrasting straight-sets victories.
Djokovic, the top seed and 2011 champion, came through a tough first set against former finalist Tomas Berdych before stamping his authority on a 7-6(5) 6-4 6-3 win.
The Serb showcased his full catalogue of acrobatic skills and on-court nous as he broke down the defences of Czech Berdych to reach his 13th successive Grand Slam semi.
The world number one performed the splits and pulled off lunging volleys as Berdych tried to throw him off balance by bombarding the Serb's half of the court with an onslaught of winners.
However, Djokovic kept his wits about him even when he trailed by two breaks and was 3-0 down in the second set. Berdych surrendered the set when he slapped an easy forehand into the net and from then there was only one winner.
Djokovic sealed the win when the Czech seventh seed smacked a forehand into the net, setting up a clash with the resurgent Del Potro.
"It was a close match and could have gone either way," summed up Djokovic. "Tomas is a very powerful player. We went toe-to-toe in the first set and one shot decided a first-set winner."
"You have to play really on the limit, playing really great to have a chance to beat him. That was not my case today," Berdych said.
Del Potro's scoreline looked equally clinical as he ended the challenge of fourth seed David Ferrer - but the Argentine's tournament looked to be over in just the first game after he hyper-extended his knee while slipping to the ground.
Heavily strapped and clearly inconvenienced, Del Potro powered on regardless and won 6-2 6-4 7-6(5).
"I played my best forehand ever in this Wimbledon," Del Potro said. "It was a big performance for me. I am so happy with my level at this moment. I've beaten one of the biggest players of the season."
The 6'5" Del Potro, 24, won the US Open in 2009 but his career has been hampered by injuries. However, the big-hitting Argentine has soared back up the rankings, beating Djokovic to bronze at last summer's Olympics and subsequently winning titles in Basel and Rotterdam.
The towering eighth seed - who is yet to drop a set at Wimbledon - looked on the verge of pulling out when he injured his already-bandaged left knee after skidding on the fifth point and needing lengthy treatment.
He continued, however, and produced a barrage of baseline bombs to leave fourth seed Ferrer floundering.
Striking his sledgehammer forehand with effortless power, Del Potro broke twice to win the first set and clinched the second after Ferrer cracked at 4-4.
The Spaniard looked weary from the effort of reaching his second consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final on top of getting to the French Open final but battled hard in the third.
Del Potro proved invincible, though, and wrapped up an outstanding victory with a crunching forehand winner after two hours 16 minutes.
"It was the same thing as my third-round match," Del Potro, who injured his knee when falling on Saturday against Grega Zemlja, told the BBC.
"I was very close (to pulling out) because I felt a lot of pain in the beginning of the match, it was exactly the same like I did before. I twisted my knee once again and the doctor gave me some magic pills and I could finish the match."
Del Potro's medical team will work overtime to patch him up for Friday's semi against Djokovic.
"I think it's going to be dangerous if I'm not careful in the next few days," he said. "But I played my best tennis in this tournament so far and I'm so happy to be in the semis."
 
Robson, Murray and Djokovic battle for Twitter supremacy

Dramatic knockouts and a surge in popularity for British teenager Laura Robson have sent activity on Twitter to new levels at the 2013 Wimbledon tennis championships as more players take to the twittersphere to boost their profiles.
IBM's second annual analysis of the volume and sentiment of tweets related to Wimbledon found Robson, fellow Briton Andy Murray and Serbian Novak Djokovic were the most talked about players by day nine of the prestigious two-week tournament.
Chris Thomas of IBM's analytics said more than 3 million tweets related to Wimbledon have been posted so far, topping the total number last year, with more players using the seven-year-old microblogging site to help build their own brand.
"This is the chance for many players to make a breakthrough with the public and make their brand especially some of those less known who are still left in the championships," Thomas told Reuters.
The most discussed was 19-year-old Robson who was the subject of 179,000 tweets. She was knocked out on Monday after becoming the first British woman in 15 years to make the fourth round.
She was followed by Murray with 155,000 tweets and Djokovic with 152,000.
Thomas attributed the surge in activity at Wimbledon this year to an increase in the number of people using Twitter, which globally has over 550 million accounts, and the dramatic events at the tournament that ends on Sunday.
From the start on June 24 Wimbledon was buzzing on Twitter with Spain's Rafa Nadal suffering a shock first-round defeat by Belgian outsider Steve Darcis. Two days later tweeters were in a frenzy when defending champion Roger Federer lost.
Activity peaked again on Monday when Serena Williams, the overwhelming favourite to lift a sixth Wimbledon title, suffered a shock fourth-round defeat by Germany's Sabine Lisicki and British No. 1 Robson was knocked out.
While Robson may top the list of the most discussed players, she has a long way to go before competing with some of the players who are most active on Twitter. All of the players left in the tournament by Wednesday had Twitter accounts.
Williams has over 3 million followers on Twitter and Djokovic's following topped 2 million while he was at Wimbledon and interacted regularly with fans, answering their questions. His poodle, Pierre, who he brought with him to Wimbledon, has a Twitter account with 67 followers.
"When I come back from my work first thing I see when I open the door of the house is him. He greets me. That's a huge joy," Djokovic told a news conference on Wednesday.
Murray has about 1.6 million followers while his dog, a border terrier called Maggie May, has 18,000 followers.
Among the women in the semi-finals, new Wimbledon favourite Lisicki has the largest Twitter following of about 102,000 and has interacted regularly with her fans during the tournament.
"It's interesting because some top 10 players don't have a Twitter presence. It all comes down to character," Thomas said.
 
Murray roars back to beat Verdasco in five

Andy Murray came from two sets down to beat Fernando Verdasco 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-4 7-5 in a pulsating quarter-final on Wimbledon's Centre Court.
Murray's hopes of ending Britain's 77-year wait for a men's Wimbledon champion were on the verge of being shredded as he found himself playing catch-up while looking jaded and uncomfortable on court.
The 54th-ranked Verdasco put pressure on Murray's vulnerable second serve and came up with a series of rasping winners to ***** the US Open champion deeper behind the baseline.
Yet with the match slipping out of his grasp, Murray muscled his way back into the encounter, taking the third and fourth sets as Verdasco's level dropped and then grabbed a decisive break in the 11th game of the fifth.
After three hours and 27 minutes Murray wrapped up the match with a love hold when Verdasco sent a forehand long.
"(Verdasco) played unbelievably well and I made some poor choices and mistakes," said Murray, who has now won 16 straight matches on grass following his Olympic gold last year and recent win at Queen's Club.
"He's a very good player, he's been at the top of the game and he's playing like he did a few years ago. I started to play more solidly in the third set and I took my time when I had the chances.
"The atmosphere was unbelievable, it's great just to get through and I need to rest up now before the semis."
Murray, who lost last year’s final to Roger Federer and has now reached five successive Wimbledon semi-finals, will face Jerzy Janowicz in the last four after he overpowered compatriot Lukasz Kubot 7-5 6-4 6-4 to become the first Polish man to reach a Grand Slam singles semi-final.
"I'm just really happy," Janowicz gulped as he struggled to get the words out shortly after walking off Court One.
Still overcome with emotion and with his eyes glazed over, he mumbled slowly: "I've not got the words to say anything now."
This was the quarter-final that should have pitted holder Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal against each other, but after the two champions perished during a chaotic first week, Janowicz and Kubot faced off with Polish pride at stake.
Once 24th seed Janowicz sealed victory with a trademark rocket serve, it was evident that as far as the two players were concerned, there were no losers.
The two friends and Davis Cup team mates went on to swap shirts after embracing for almost 30 seconds at the net.
"I'm really proud to represent my country," Janowicz told a news conference. "Always I'm happy to play a Davis Cup tie. I didn't miss even one match from 2008. So this is really important for me.
"This was one of the toughest matches of my life. I was never in (grand slam) quarter-final before. I never played against Lukasz before. Lukasz played an incredible match today."
Janowicz broke Kubot in the 11th game of a service-dominated opening set and did so again to open up a decisive 4-3 lead in the second.
The 22-year-old served 30 aces in the match and struck 58 winners to wear down his 31-year-old opponent.
He broke Kubot again to lead 5-4 in the third set before wrapping up victory after just over two hours.
"I saw his emotions," Kubot told a news conference. "He went on the ground. I just wanted to come up and congratulate him as fast as possible because I knew it was a big moment for both of us.
"He deserve for sure to win today. I said, let's make our tennis more famous, more popular, and show that Poland is on the map of tennis because this has never happened before."
Janowicz will play second seed Andy Murray in the last four.
"I hope Andy will feel some kind of pressure," he said. "I'm sure he will feel some kind of pressure because Great Britain is waiting for the champion of Wimbledon."
Janowicz is guaranteed to break into the world's top 20 next week, the second Polish man to achieve the feat after Wojtek Fibak, and he joins compatriot Agnieszka Radwanska in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
"I know her (Radwanska) very well. She's my really good friend. We stay in touch all the time."
 
Storming Murray comeback secures Wimbledon semi place

Andy Murray produced a stunning comeback to clinch his Wimbledon semi-final place after a five-set edge-of-your-seat thriller at the All England Club.
The British number one had cruised through his first four matches at the Championships but Spain's Fernando Verdasco clearly had little respect for his form or home favourite status.
He raced into a two set lead before the second seed finally rallied, securing a memorable 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 victory in a performance that underlined his grit and character and only increased national expectation.
"He played unbelievably well and I made some poor choices and mistakes," said Murray, who has now won 16 straight matches on grass, following his Olympic gold last year and recent win at Queen's Club.
"He's a very good player, he's been at the top of the game and he's playing like he did a few years ago. I started to play more solidly in the third set and I took my time when I had the chances.
"It's not a warning to me - I know how good these players are. I fought as hard as I could. I came through an incredibly hard match. It could have gone either way. "The atmosphere was unbelievable, it's great just to get through and I need to rest up now before the semis."
Both players exchanged service games during a closely-fought first set but Murray's second serve has always been the most vulnerable part of his game and Verdasco broke, courtesy of a double fault, to take the opener.
Murray, who hadn't lost a set all championship, looked rattled but hit back early in the second, with a succession of fizzing forehands putting Verdasco under pressure.
But the Scot was also struggling to cope with his rival's consistent and aggressive service game and was losing his cool, turning the rarified air of Centre Court blue as he yelled towards his entourage in search of inspiration.
And the Spaniard quickly took advantage, rallying to win five consecutive games, even saving three break points at 5-3, as Murray tried in vain to muscle back into proceedings.
Verdasco has fallen outside the world's top 50 in recent times but this performance was starting to bring back memories of his epic semi-final defeat to Rafael Nadal at the 2009 Australian Open, which secured him top ten status.
But a combination of Murray's stubbornness, and a sudden crisis of confidence, slowly started to shift momentum and **** up the slightly stunned home support.
As coach Ivan Lendl, a two-time beaten Wimbledon finalist, looked impassively on, Murray reduced arrears to take the third set in just 31 minutes.
And, after surviving some nervous break points, he finally got the better of Verdasco's booming serve in the sixth game of the fourth set, establishing a lead he quickly consolidated and served out at the first opportunity.
The deciding set was predictably edgy and stayed with serve until Murray broke decisively in the 11th game, which he followed with a service game to love that clinched victory in three hours and 27 minutes.
Murray will now take on Jerzy Janowicz after the number 24 seed beat compatriot Lukasz Kubot 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 to become the first male Polish player to reach a Grand Slam semi-final.
Tournament favourite Novak Djokovic progressed through his last eight match with Tomas Berdych 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 and will now play former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, a 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 winner over fourth seed David Ferrer.
 
Experience key as Murray mounts Wimbledon comeback

Andy Murray is probably a little too old to be labelled the Comeback *** but as Sir Alex Ferguson watched on he produced the tennis equivalent of stoppage time winner.
Murray was two sets down and heading out of Wimbledon against Fernando Verdasco, a player ranked outside the world's top 50.
After four virtually flawless previous matches, boxing fan Murray was on the ropes in the last eight - losing five straight games in the second set and turning the air blue in a desperate bid to inspire what appeared an unlikely victory.
But whatever he said worked, as he stormed into the semi-finals 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5, securing his win in three hours and 27 minutes and setting up a last four date with Poland's Jerzy Janowicz.
"When you play more and more matches and gain more experience, you understand how to turn matches around and change momentum of games," he said.
"When I was younger I could have lost that match but I've learned how to come back from those sort of situations, I know what it takes.
"The second set was a bad set of tennis from me. I made some mistakes and poor choices on the court but I turned it around really well after that.
"I thought about what I was doing wrong. I changed tactics a bit, was a bit more patient and just didn't rush."
Murray will now take on Janowicz after the number 24 seed beat compatriot Lukasz Kubot 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 to become the first male Polish player to reach a Grand Slam semi-final.
And he's confident he can recover from his five set endeavours ahead of Friday's match.
"I know Janowicz pretty well," said Murray. "He's a big guy, with a bigger serve and a lot of power.
"He has also got good touch, with great drop shots, he doesn't just whack everything. He's been pretty convincing so far and he's a tough player and it's a tough match.
"My focus is on recovery now. If I am able to do all the right things then I can feel decent the next day. I put a lot of effort into chasing every ball out there. I feel pretty good now but it's normally the following morning when I actually feel it."
Murray knows the weight of expectation will only increase following his latest win, in contrast Janowicz is determined just to enjoy the experience.
"It should be really cool, maybe Andy might feel some pressure because all of Great Britain is waiting so long for a champion here," he said.
"It should be a special atmosphere and I know the crowd won't help me. I don't know what to expect because it's my first semi-final in a Grand Slam but I want to have fun and enjoy it."
Elsewhere, tournament favourite Novak Djokovic progressed through his last eight match with Tomas Berdych 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 and will now play former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, a 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 winner over fourth seed David Ferrer.
 
Order of play: Thursday July 4

The order of play for day 11 at Wimbledon, as both women's semi-finals take place on Centre Court.
An improbable scenario that would have prompted a polite chuckle among tennis fans two weeks ago is set to play out on Thursday when Marion Bartoli, Kirsten Flipkens, Sabine Lisicki and Agnieska Radwanska do battle in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
The odds on those players making the last four were 33,379-1 at the start of the tournament but the early departures of Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka opened up the draw and Lisicki knocked out defending champion Serena Williams in the fourth round to blow it wide open.
Lisicki, the new favourite and bidding to become Germany's first Grand Slam singles champion since Steffi Graf in 1996, will take on last year's runner-up Radwanska.
Awaiting the winner in the final will be French 15th seed Bartoli or Belgian Flipkens, a woman who has defied medical advice to continue a tennis career that came close to being destroyed by injury and illness.
Nicknamed "Flipper", she was languishing at 262nd in the world a year ago, after suffering ***** clots in her legs that put her at risk of a pulmonary embolism or thrombosis.
She said she felt tired after a flight from Thailand and went to have it checked out before heading on to Tokyo.
"The doctor told me that if I had taken the flight I would have come out blue," she said.
Her fightback has been nothing short of extraordinary. Her freefall down the rankings left her in the tennis wilderness where she was not even deemed good enough to play in the qualifiers for last year's competition.
She became the first Belgian to reach the last four at Wimbledon since Justine Henin in 2007 with a three-set victory over former champion Petra Kvitova.
Now all that stands between her and a place in the final is Bartoli, the 2007 runner-up to Venus Williams, whose punchy groundstrokes are tailor-made for grass.
The Frenchwoman came through a bizarre rain-interrupted quarter-final that featured eight successive breaks of serve.
Lisicki is now tipped as the player most likely to lift the famous Venus Rosewater dish.
Having ended Williams's hopes of a sixth title in arguably the biggest shock of a tournament filled to bursting with surprise results, she beat unseeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi in just 65 minutes to reach the last four.
Lisicki's career has also been dogged by injury - she dropped outside the world's top 200 in 2011 - but she is a potent ***** on grass.
She possesses one of the fastest serves on tour and her Wimbledon record contrasts markedly with her performances in the three other grand slams.
She has a 18-4 record in singles at the All England Club compared to 16-15 at the Australian, French and US Opens.
Lisicki reached the semi-finals in 2011 before losing to Maria Sharapova, but is feeling more positive this time around.
"I think this time I'm more ready," she said. "I just feel like I'm hitting the ball well. I think I'm moving well. I feel good.
"And having had the experience in the past, all that together helps me a lot."
Her semi-final opponent is no novice.
Radwanska reached the final last year against the odds and surprised many still further by taking Serena Williams to three sets when everyone was predicting a mauling.
She is the highest remaining seed and shuns the hard-hitting muscular tennis that currently dominates the women's game for a more cerebral and wily approach.

Centre Court (1300 UK time)

15-Marion Bartoli (France) v 20-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium)

23-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) v 4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland)
 
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