Wimbledon 2014: Eugenie Bouchard third-time lucky

Eugenie Bouchard defeated French Open finalist Simona Halep Thursday to advance to the Wimbledon final.

Eugenie Bouchard defeated Simona Halep 7-6 (5), 6-2 on Thursday. (Source: Reuters)

Eugenie Bouchard defeated French Open finalist Simona Halep 7-6 (5), 6-2 Thursday to advance to the Wimbledon final against 2011 champion Petra Kvitova.

The 20-year-old from Montreal harried and chased third seed Halep from the baseline, producing a series of forehand winners. The match was interrupted three times. After four games Halep, 22, needed treatment on a sore ankle. Then in the tie-break a spectator was taken ill in the sunshine and had to be led from the stand.

“It was difficult to continue … I felt a big pain in the moment, but then was better with the tape,” Halep said. “But, still, I couldn’t push anymore with my leg. My first serve was really bad after that,” she added.

On Bouchard’s first match point Halep served an ace, but 13th seed Bouchard complained she had been distracted by a noise in the crowd. She argued with the umpire Kader Nouni but the point stood.

With Bouchard rattled, Halep saved four more match points but her intensity was shot and she sent a ball long to offer the Canadian her sixth chance.

A French Open finalist last month, the Romanian fought gamely to see off three match points at 5-1 down and keep her hopes alive, with Bouchard disturbed at one point by a call from the crowd.

Bouchard thumped down a big serve that the French Open finalist could only push into the net. “It was a little crazy. I have never ended a match like that,” Bouchard said. “I’m happy I kept my focus and didn’t get distracted and played well in the last game.”

Story continues below this ad

“I’m really excited … it’s my first grand slam final so I’m just going to go for it. I will probably have my toughest match yet so I’m looking forward to the challenge,” a beaming Bouchard said.

“My coach will watch her play and give me some tips on how she plays, but I’m just going to go out there and play my game. I think I can play even better than I did today,” she added. The semi-final victory shot Bouchard into the world’s top 10 in only her second year on the professional tour.

KVITOVA CZECH-MATES SAFAROVA

Former champion Petra Kvitova moved within one match of capturing a second Wimbledon title, ending the plucky resistance of Lucie Safarova 7-6 (6) 6-1 in their all-Czech showdown on Thursday.

Although few held out much hope of the 27-year-old Safarova beating her friend, having lost all five of their previous meetings, she had not lost a set en route to her first grand slam semi-final.

Story continues below this ad

“It was a tough match mentally because Lucie is a great friend of mine, we know each other well off the court as well. I am just happy I won,” sixth seed Kvitova, 24, told the BBC.

“I am very emotional but I have two days before the final to focus … I know how it feels to lift that trophy so I will try my best to do it again.” After having her serve broken in the opening game, Safarova quickly settled into unfamiliar surroundings on Centre Court, producing a series of venomous winners as the big-hitting left-handers slugged it out from the baseline.

The 23rd seed broke back in the fourth game and matched the powerful Kvitova every step of the way until the 2011 champion made the decisive breakthrough with a breathtaking cross-court forehand clinching a scintillating tie-break. Bloodied but unbowed, Safarova continued to attack at every opportunity but without the consistency required to unsettle her opponent. Kvitova stepped up a gear to forge into a 3-0 lead in the second set.

Paes, Sania sail through

Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic entered the semifinals in men’s doubles while another Indian Sania Mirza and her Romanian partner Horia Tecau sailed into the pre-quarterfinals of mixed doubles on Thursday.

Story continues below this ad

Meanwhile, fifth seeded Paes and Stepanek recorded an upset win over third seeds Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia in a quarterfinal match. The Indo-Czech pair won 3-6 7-6 6-3 6-4 in the 152-minute contest. In the semifinals, Paes and Stepanek take on the unseeded pair of Vasek Pospisil of Canada and Jack Sock of United States.

Results:

Women’s Singles (Semifinals): Eugenie Bouchard (13), Canada, defeats Simona Halep (3), Romania, 7-6 (5), 6-2; Petra
Kvitova (6), Czech Republic, defeats Lucie Safarova (23), Czech Republic, 7-6 (6), 6-1; Men’s Doubles (Quarterfinals): Vasek Pospisil, Canada, and Jack Sock, United States, defeats Alexander Peya, Austria, and Bruno Soares (2), Brazil, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4; Leander Paes, India, and Radek Stepanek (5), Czech Republic, defeats Daniel Nestor, Canada, and Nenad Zimonjic (3), Serbia, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4.
Order of Play: Centre Court (play starts at 17:30): Novak Djokovic v Grigor Dimitrov; Roger Federer v Milos Raonic.