Wimbledon: The women`s semi-finals at Wimbledon on Thursday will provide a glimpse into the future of the women`s game and a nod to its recent past.
Rising stars Simona Halep and Eugenie Bouchard will meet in one semi-final after they impressed in quarter-final victories on Wednesday, while Czech pair Lucie Safarova and Petra Kvitova complete the contrasting semi-final line-up.
With only one grand slam title between the quartet, there might be some raised eyebrows on Centre Court, yet it is the presence of veterans Safarova and Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, that is perhaps most surprising.
Romanian Halep and Canada`s Bouchard have been in sparkling form and are the only players to have reached at least the last eight of all three grand slams so far in 2014.
They are also the only women from Romania and Canada to make it this far at Wimbledon.
However, sixth-seeded Kvitova has not been in a grand slam semi-final since the 2012 French Open, and 23rd seed Safarova will be making her first ever grand slam semi-final appearance at the 37th attempt.
Halep, the third seed, came back from losing the first three games of the match to trounce last year`s runner-up Sabine Lisicki 6-4 6-0 and continue the great championship form that has seen her record career-best results in consecutive grand slams.
Not to be outdone, 13th seed Bouchard overcame her ninth-seeded opponent Angelique Kerber - who shocked Centre Court with a victory over Maria Sharapova on Tuesday - 6-3 6-4.
The 20-year-old`s victory meant she became the only woman on the tour to make the last four at all three grand slam events so far this year.
"I am excited (but) she is a very good player so I am definitely ready for another tough match," Bouchard told the BBC of her challenge against Halep, who is the highest seed left in the draw.
"I am so pleased to reach the semi-finals again but I want to go one step further this time around."
While considered bright talents, not many would have predicted the rapid rise of both Halep and Bouchard this year.
World No.6 Kvitova is trying to get back to the top of the game after winning Wimbledon as a 21-year-old.
She beat another Czech opponent, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, 6-1 7-5 in the quarter-finals on Tuesday. Safarova, 27, beat Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-1.
Kvitova and Safarova met at Eastbourne, the Wimbledon warm-up tournament, last month, with Kvitova edging a three-setter.
"It`s going to be my third match against a Czech girl during Wimbledon, which is unusual," Kvitova said.
"We played last time in Eastbourne. It was a big fight until the end. I`m expecting a tough battle again."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.