Sports44 FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2014 Kvitova sinks Safarova

LONDON: Former champion Petra Kvitova swept into her second Wimbledon final with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 victory over fellow Czech and close friend Lucie Safarova yesterday. Kvitova won her only title at Wimbledon in 2011 and the sixth seed is one more victory away from lift- ing the Venus Rosewater dish for the second time after seeing off 23rd seed Safarova with 24 winners and eight aces in 80 minutes on Centre Court. The 24-year-old is back in a Grand WIMBLEDON: and Slam final for the first time since that (left) of the US talk during their women’s doubles surprise triumph against at the All England Club three match against Kristina Barrios of Germany and years ago. Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland. The Williams sisters Kvitova will play Canadian 13th seed retired after 3 games. —AP Eugenie Bouchard or Romanian world number three in the final ‘Sick’ Serena and on Saturday. “It’s great, definitely. I have a lot of emotion from this match,” ‘swearing’ Murray gone Kvitova said. “It was a tough match mentally but not forgotten because she is good friend of mine and we know each other well on and off the LONDON: Serena Williams and may have suf- court. I knew she would play her best fered shock defeats at Wimbledon but they remained at the tennis and she did. Happily I won. “I centre of intrigue Thursday over the controversial and tried to be focused in the tie-break then stormy manner of their exits. Williams was a fourth-round I broke early in the second set and loser in singles before she retired from her doubles second served well after that.” round tie with what was described as a “viral illness” after As the only former Grand Slam win- almost fainting and serving up four double faults in a per- ner left in the women’s tournament, formance which made for uncomfortable, almost goulish Kvitova knows she has a glorious viewing. opportunity to finally get her hands on The 32-year-old added to the mystery when she posted a some significant silverware again. photo on social media showing herself wrapped in a blan- “I know that feeling when you have ket and slumped listlessly on a sofa, staring blankly at a lap- the trophy,” she added. “I really want to top on the table in front of her. win my second title and I will do every- Her French coach, , with whom she thing I can on Saturday.” has been linked romantically, said he had not seen Serena Kvitova has been in fine form over for two days before her Court One meltdown on Tuesday the last fortnight, dropping just one set where she was led by the hand from the court by sister en route to the final and was playing in Venus after she had struggled to maintain her balance and her third Wimbledon semi-final. In con- composure. trast, Safarova, 27, was making her Former champion and world number one Martina Grand Slam semi-final debut at the 37th Navratilova suggested that there was more to the story attempt. than a “viral illness” although Williams has suffered serious Kvitova, the only player born in the health issues in the past, once even having to battle life- 1990s to win a Grand Slam title, knew it threatening blood clots on her lungs. would be tricky to face one of her clos- WIMBLEDON: Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic returns to Lucie “I’ve never seen anything like it and hopefully never will est friends in the first all-Czech Grand Safarova of Czech Republic during their women’s singles semifinal again,” Navratilova told ESPN. “It’s not right. It defies logic Slam semi-final. match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships. —AP on so many fronts. The coach said he hadn’t seen her for But she had already dispatched com- control on a sun-kissed Centre Court. earn another which she took with a two days. He didn’t know anything. How can you be a coach patriots Andrea Hlavackova and Unloading a series of ferocious superb winner before letting out a roar and not know anything? That’s wrong. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova earlier in groundstrokes, Kvitova broke in the of celebration. The momentum was “You don’t know what’s going on, but virus was not it, the tournament, and managed to keep opening game when a backhand win- with Kvitova now and she broke again that much is clear.” One day after defending men’s champi- her emotions in check long enough to ner flashed past Safarova. in the second game of the second set, on Murray made a tame exit in straight sets to Grigor get the best of her Fed Cup team-mate But Safarova was in combative mood hammering a return which Safarova Dimitrov in the quarter-finals, the British media suggested as well. herself and she broke back in the fourth couldn’t handle. there had been an incident involving the 27-year-old in the While Kvitova had lost three of her game. Kvitova had the upper hand in One more break in the sixth game minutes leading up to his Centre Court clash. four Grand Slam semi-finals, she could the tie-break and although she couldn’t put the final within touching distance The Daily Telegraph reported that in the second set, take heart from her 5-0 record against convert her first set point, she capi- and Kvitova sealed the deal in emphatic Murray was heard muttering the words “shut the f*** up” to Safarova and she was quickly back in talised on a rare Safarova miscue to fashion. —AFP himself. In the third, he raged: “Five minutes before the match.” The comments appeared to be aimed at the players’ box where his coach Amelie Mauresmo, long-time girlfriend Kim Siem in clubhouse lead Sears and his mother Judy were watching. Murray left the All England Club straight after his media VERSAILLES: Former champion Marcel Siem of Germany he nailed eight birdies, including three of the last four holes duties were completed still dressed in his tennis kit, - was the early clubhouse leader at the yester- to sit alone at the top of the leaderboard. ing for his mansion home nearby. day as first round play got underway at Le Golf National near Gallacher had a chance to share the lead when he Sears was understood to have left alone and was “visibly Versailles. bogeyed the final hole to slip to a 66 after seven straight upset”, claimed the Telegraph. Judy Murray told the BBC on Siem fired a six under par 65, to lead Scotland’s Stephen birdies left him provisionally top of the pack. Thursday that she was not aware of any pre-match difficul- Gallacher by one shot, as blue skies and warm temperatures The 39-year-old, who is the nephew of former Ryder Cup ties although she only arrived after the first set having gone produced perfect conditions for the early starters. captain Bernard, got off to a scorching start with four birdies to watch her other son, Jamie playing mixed doubles on an Kristoffer Broberg of Sweden, who can qualify for the on the front nine after starting his round at hole number ten. outside court. “He went to meet Amelie this morning. I’m British Open which begins July 17 at Hoylake with a top ten He then drained putts at the first, third and fifth holes to sure he’ll be back-form is temporary, class is permanent,” finish this weekend, was also on five under coming to the take the outright lead before his only bogey of the day at she said. 18th before a disastrous quadruple bogey sent him plung- the difficult par four seven. Dimitrov, a close friend of Murray, sensed the British ing down the standings. “I had an eight foot putt to go eight under but that’s player was not up to his best.” “I sensed in the warm up that He finished with a one under par 70. Siem, won the sec- what this course can do,” said Gallacher who faces five tour- his game was not at the highest level,” said the 23-year-old ond of four professional titles at the 2012 French Open, and naments over the next six weeks in a bid to crack into the Bulgarian. —AFP again found the challenging Albatross layout to his liking as Ryder Cup team. —AFP