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(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-30 08:14

Two courts, but only one winner - Azarenka

Fourth seed Victoria Azarenka buried her Grand Slam quarterfinal jinx to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal on Tuesday, defeating Austria's Tamira Paszek in a match played on two different courts.

Belarus star Azarenka had lost all of her previous four quarterfinals at the majors, but the 21-year-old shook off that record to win 6-3, 6-1 against her unseeded opponent.

Her reward is a semifinal against Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova, who she lost to in the third round here 12 months ago.

Azarenka dedicated the win to her mother who was celebrating her birthday on Tuesday.

"I wanted to give her a good gift, I wanted to play beautifully," said Azarenka, who has lost her past two matches to Kvitova - here in the third round in 2010 and in May's Madrid Masters final on clay.

"Petra is a great player. The grass suits her, she has a huge serve. I will have to play my best tennis."

The match had started on Court One but after Paszek had won the first game, the contest was suspended at 1820 GMT because of the slippery conditions caused by the heavy rain which had disrupted the day's schedule.

Kvitova eyes crown after sinking Pironkova

Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova set her sights on Wimbledon glory after reaching the semifinals for the second successive year with a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 win over Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova on Tuesday.

With the Williams sisters, world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki and second seed Vera Zvonareva already knocked out, the race for the title has been thrown wide open. Maria Sharapova is the only former champion left and Kvitova, who plays fourth seed Victoria Azarenka for a final berth, is confident she can clinch her first Grand Slam crown.

"I think so. It's opened up the tournament. Everybody can win here," said Kvitova, who lost to Serena Williams in the semifinals last year.

"Reaching the semifinals last year showed that I can play on grass and I can beat everybody who is playing against me, including top players.

"Being left-handed, my game is suited to grass. When I can serve well it is good for me here. Also my game is fast and my legs are strong, so I can move well."

Just 12 months ago, Kvitova arrived at Wimbledon never having won a match on grass, but now she is just two matches away from becoming the first Czech woman to win here since Jana Novotna in 1998.

Burundian makes history at Wimbledon

A 16-year-old boy from Burundi has been making history at Wimbledon, becoming the first player from the east African country to participate in the world-famous tennis championships.

Hassan Ndayishimiye was in tears on court after making his Wimbledon debut, overcome with the occasion and his historic achievement.

Born in Bujumbura, the capital and main port of the landlocked republic on Lake Tanganyika, Ndayishimiye is the son of a tennis coach and started playing at the age of five.

"He's one of the most promising juniors from Africa, especially that part of Africa," said Isabelle Gemmel, administrator of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) juniors department.

"It's a fantastic thing for his country and a big deal for the national association," she said.

Ndayishimiye has received support from the Grand Slam Development Fund, established by the ITF in 1986, which helps increase opportunities for talented junior players from developing nations.

Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, the French Open girls' champion, has also come through the scheme.

Funded by the four tennis majors, the scheme pays for the ITF-Grand Slam Touring Team, which Ndayishimiye is a part of.

He was also among a 14-strong group which attended the ITF's Anglophone African Training Centre in Pretoria last year, which uses the University of Pretoria's facilities.

Ndayishimiye trained alongside players from Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Madagascar, Ghana, Namibia, South Africa and Kenya.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 06/30/2011 page24)