Kvitova Back in Wimbledon Final After Strolling Past Fellow Czech Safarova

Petra Kvitova defeated her fellow Czech Lucie Safarova 7-6(6), 6-1 on Thursday to move into the Wimbledon final. Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, rolled in the second set after gutting out the opening frame in a tiebreaker.

The sixth-seeded Kvitova is the only player born in the 1990’s to win a Grand Slam title, and it came on these very grass-courts back in 2011. In her career, she is 25-5 at Wimbledon and has advanced as far as the quarterfinals five years in a row.

She now sets her sights on a second title in four years at the All England Club.

“I’ve got two days to go until the final,” said Kvitova. “I will just try my best out there. I know the feeling when you hold the trophy and I really want to win my second title here and I will do everything I can.”

Both players notched break points early on in the first set, and exchanged winners that kept the see-saw opening frame even. At 6-6, the two entered a crucial tiebreaker that would determine who gained control of the match.

Despite Safarova having only four unforced errors in the opening set, one of those four loomed large. With the two tied at 6-all in the tiebreak, Safarova smashed a forehand into the net to give Kvitova a set point opportunity, and she capitalized with a fantastic cross-court winner to capture the first set.

“I tried to be focused from the beginning of the second set when I won the tiebreak,” said Kvitova, “and really I [broke] her when she was serving for the first time and I just kept it going.”

With momentum in her corner, Kvitova started to pull away from compatriot. An early break in the second game of the second set followed by a deuce winner put the 24-year old Czech up 3-0. She broke Safarova again in the sixth game to put herself one game away from the victory.

She set the table for match point with an ace which she followed with a backhand cross-court winner that sealed the match and her spot in the Wimbledon finals.

“It’s great, definitely. I don’t have the words to describe how I’m feeling right now,” said Kvitova. “It was a tough match mentally, because Lucie is a good friend of mine-we know each other very well on and off the court-and I knew she was going to play very well. I’m just very happy I won an am in the final again.”

Kvitova now awaits the winner of Simona Halep and Eugenie Bouchard, who were underway on Centre Court. The men’s semifinals will be Friday.