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05/03/2024 10:09:23 pm

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Petra Kvitova Wins All-Czech Affair, Goes on to the 2014 Wimbledon Finals

Petra Kvitova serves up an ace against fellow countrywoman Lucie Safarova

(Photo : wimbledon.com)

It's an all-Czech affair at Center Court in the All England Club as Petra Kvitova out-played Lucie Safarova to make her way into the 2014 Wimbledon Finals.

Sarafova, 27, played her heart out in the first set as she forces Kvitova into a tie-break. But 23-year-old Kvitova pulled off some timely service aces that sealed the set for her.

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The second set was all Kvitova as she capitalized with her on the net attacks and a total of eight service aces that sealed her faith in the finals with a final score of 7(8)-6(6) 6-1.

Kvitova has not reached a Grand Slam final since she won the 2011 Wimbledon crown and she now faces Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard for the championship.

"We played last year in Toronto, I think. She was just coming up. I find her as a very solid and talented player," Kvitova said. "She really seems confident in her game right now. She's moving very well. She's playing aggressively from near the baseline."

Double Whammy for Lucie Safarova

Having lost the semi-finals match against fellow countrywoman Kvitova, Safarova then played in the doubles' quarterfinals along with partner Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. They were up against the tag-team of Czech Andrea Hlavackova and China's Jie Zheng.

The loss in the semi-finals is still in Safarova's mind which the 6th seeds Hlvackova and Zheng capitalized on. But Anastasia egged her on in the second set to even the match at one set a piece.

The third set took a toll on the emotionally wrecked Safarova as her legs began to buckle after an hour and a half of tennis. The Czech-Russian pair finally succumbed to their opponents, with Hlvackova and Zheng being the winners at 6-1 4-6 6-3.

Hlvackova and Zheng will now face French Open runner's-up Italian's Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in the semis.

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