Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012
Women’s quarter-finals day at Wimbledon had surprises, one great comeback or almighty choke (take your pick) and what now looks a dream scenario for Serena Williams.
To the shock first – which perhaps was more foreseeable than first glance suggested. Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova beat Venus Williams, and deservedly so. The clue was she’s done this before, and in a Grand Slam to boot, when she knocked Williams out of the 2006 Australian Open. Pironkova (pictured) used her strongest asset, her backhand, well, while slicing and dicing on the forehand as Williams racked up the error count. Pironkova, ranked 82, came away with a 6-2 6-3. We thought we’d put up a picture of her, as her appearance was pretty much a mystery beforehand to all bar the hard core tennis fans.
Pironkova, helped with her housing plans by the Bulgarian embassy after her hotel reservation ran out, will now face Vera Zvonoreva, who knocked out Kim Clijsters, 3-6 6-4 6-2. Zvonareva has been ranked in the top 10 and one of this pair will now contest a grand slam final. After Schiavone-Stosur, why not?
As for the top half of the draw, Serena Williams is not slowing down. She beat Chinese seed Li Na 7-5 6-3 and was delighted with her serving. Serena was destined to meet someone surprising in the semi-finals, and it turned out to be Petra Kvitova, when i should have been the Estonian qualifier Kaia Kanepi. Kanepi had match points in the second set tie-break, and a 4-0 lead in the final set. Kanepi has been ranked in the top 30, but when opportunity came knocking, she went absent.
Kvitova’s finest hour came against Caroline Wozniacki in the last 16. She couldn’t, could she? Not unless off days are progammed in the sisterly genes.