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 Rising stars Simona Halep and Eugenie Bouchard will meet in one
semi-final after they impressed in quarter-final victories on
Wednesday, while Czech pair Lucie Safarova and Petra Kvitova
complete the contrasting semi-final line-up.
With only one grand slam title between the quartet, there might be
some raised eyebrows on Center Court, yet it is the presence of
veterans Safarova and Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, that is
perhaps most surprising.
Romanian Halep and Canada's Bouchard have been in sparkling form and
are the only players to have reached at least the last eight of all
three grand slams so far in 2014.
They are also the only women from Romania and Canada to make it this
far at Wimbledon.
However, sixth-seeded Kvitova has not been in a grand slam
semi-final since the 2012 French Open, and 23rd seed Safarova will
be making her first ever grand slam semi-final appearance at the
37th attempt.
Halep, the third seed, came back from losing the first three games
of the match to trounce last year's runner-up Sabine Lisicki 6-4 6-0
and continue the great championship form that has seen her record
career-best results in consecutive grand slams.
Not to be outdone, 13th seed Bouchard overcame her ninth-seeded
opponent Angelique Kerber - who shocked Center Court with a victory
over Maria Sharapova on Tuesday - 6-3 6-4.
The 20-year-old's victory meant she became the only woman on the
tour to make the last four at all three grand slam events so far
this year.
"I am excited (but) she is a very good player so I am definitely
ready for another tough match," Bouchard told the BBC of her
challenge against Halep, who is the highest seed left in the draw.
"I am so pleased to reach the semi-finals again but I want to go one
step further this time around."
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While considered bright talents, not many would have predicted the
rapid rise of both Halep and Bouchard this year.
World No.6 Kvitova is trying to get back to the top of the game
after winning Wimbledon as a 21-year-old.
She beat another Czech opponent, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, 6-1 7-5
in the quarter-finals on Tuesday. Safarova, 27, beat Russian
Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-1.
Kvitova and Safarova met at Eastbourne, the Wimbledon warm-up
tournament, last month, with Kvitova edging a three-setter.
"It's going to be my third match against a Czech girl during
Wimbledon, which is unusual," Kvitova said.
"We played last time in Eastbourne. It was a big fight until the
end. I'm expecting a tough battle again."
(Editing by Stephen Wood)
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