Petra Kvitova defeats a noisy Victoria Azarenka to enter her first Wimbledon final
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Petra Kvitova, a 21-year-old from the Czech Republic, became the first left-hander since her hero Martina Navratilova to advance to the women’s Wimbledon final Thursday, with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 win over fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
Kvitova, seeded eighth, is 6 feet tall, and when she was in control of the match, it was because of her powerful serving. She won on her second match point when Azarenka, a notoriously loud presence on court, punctuating every swing with a loud shriek, served a double fault.
‘I’m so happy,’ said Kvitova, who made the semifinals here last year. ‘I don’t believe it that I’m in the final. I served very well, all match it was about the serve.’
Kvitova said she got to meet Navratilova in the locker room. Navratilova, also Czech-born, gave Kvitova a good-luck message, the semifinal winner said.
In the finals, Kvitova will play the winner of Thursday’s second semifinal, between fifth-seeded and 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and unranked wild-card entrant Sabine Lisicki of Germany.
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-- Diane Pucin in Wimbledon, England