By Jackie Roe, TW Social Director

Hi there, TWibe! We’ve finally arrived at one of my favorite weekends of the year … it’s Breakfast at Wimbledon time! (Oh yeah, and that holiday with all the fireworks.) How will you guys be watching the finals? At home? Alone or with others? With or without strawberries and cream?

Once again, let’s kick off the Deuce Club with a Wimbledon Suicide Pool update from TalkAboutTennis.com’s Mariya. Last Friday, a few of you noted that you were left off of the list; if there are any oversights again this week, feel free to PM Mariya on TAT at mmmm8 and let her know.

Women’s SP
We have winners determined on the women’s side. There are two of them and they will both also beat the draw if Serena wins on Saturday. One of them is Naughty T – he didn’t post “TW” with his first round picks, which is why he didn’t appear in the last update!

Here are his picks:
Naughty T: Kleybanova – Zheng – Petrova – Cibulkova – Bartoli – Sharapova – Li – Kvitova – Zvonareva – S. Williams

Before that, two TW players lost with Clijsters:
jbradhunter: Makarova – Rodionova – Kleybanova – Kanepi – Groth – Radwanska – Li – Clijsters
sokol: Zvonareva – Hantuchova – Petrova – Sharapova – Bartoli – Radwanska – Kanepi – Clijsters

Men’s SP
The situation is quite different on the men’s side, with 58! people still alive going into the semifinals. A lot of them will run out of picks even if they get through to the final, though, because they were saving Roger for the semis.

Of the 58, seven represent the TWibe:

(I accidentally listed AB under her TAT username, Gcatcee, in the previous update. Apologies.)

“beautiful tennis” fan: Llodra – Bellucci – Kohlschreiber – Querrey – Berdych – Ferrer – Soderling – Djokovic
AB: Melzer – Simon – Kohlschreiber – Bellucci – Djokovic – Ferrer – Berdych – Murray
Codge: Roddick – Isner – Monfils – Simon – Djokovic – Tsonga – Berdych – Murray
DaveG : Llodra – Simon – Montanes – Bellucci – Djokovic – Ferrer – Berdych – Murray
Mr. X: Llodra – Chardy – Hewitt – Bellucci – Djokovic – Tsonga – Berdych – Murray
Sher: Davydenko – Tsonga – Kohlschreiber – Simon – Berdych – Querrey – Soderling – Djokovic
Yello Fuzzy: Lopez – A Beck – Hewitt – Querrey – Berdych – Soderling – Murray – Djokovic

A huge congrats to naughty t for winning the SP! That’s quite the feat, and I’m proud to have one of our own claim the title. Let’s make it happen on the men’s side, too, yeah? Good luck to all those still remaining in the pool.

Today’s DC will give us a chance to look back on the past couple of weeks and reflect on our favorite moments – and those forgettable ones – from this year’s Wimbledon.

We like our categories here in the DC, so I’ve laid a few out for you, along with some nominees to consider. Answer as many as you like, and go ahead and create your own, too.

Here we go:

Most nonsensical presser question - added bonus if you can guess to whom the questions were asked

Consider …

Q. When are you planning to shave?
Q. So tomorrow when you wake up, you think you’re going to be pissed off, disappointed?
Q. Was there a reason you went for a bathroom break after the first change?
Q. Do you ever get confused for Robert Pattinson? It’s a great compliment to look like Robert Pattinson. Q. Looking at your hair now, are you going to let your hair grow a little bit longer to get to R‑Pat’s?
Q. After shedding so much weight in the last 24 hours, do you think you would make a good face of Weight Watchers in America?
Q. How long does it take for you to decide what shirt to wear when you come to these press conferences?

Biggest upset

Consider …

Lu d. Roddick
Pironkova d. V. Williams
Eaton/Inglot d. Nestor/Zimonjic
Vesnina/Zvonareva d. Williams sisters
Berdych d. Federer (does this even belong?)
 
Most thrilling 5-setter (excluding The Match Without End)

Consider …

Ferrer vs. Soderling
Querrey vs. Malisse (it’s the only 5-setter I had the chance to watch from start to finish, so I had to include it)
Nadal vs. Petzschner
Federer vs. Falla
Davydenko vs. Anderson (never miss the chance to give fellow Illini alum Anderson a mention)
Roddick vs. Lu

Best match, men and women

Consider …

S. Williams vs. Sharapova?
Nadal vs. Murray?

Best/Worst dressed - for aussiemarg and the elusive Jacko, whom we desperately miss!

Tough to think of nominees for this one, without color as a criterion. But both of our ladies’ finalists, Vera and Serena, are smartly dressed. I also liked the preppy number Jarmila Groth sported in her match against Venus. The only fashion faux pas I can think of off the top of my head is Aravane’s kit. Her top looked like a cross between an apron and a bulletproof vest.

The men’s outfits are even less distinct, but Djokovic stood out to me for some reason. Maybe because he looked perfectly Wimbledon-esque, despite representing much of what Wimbledon isn’t (he’s not the most genteel guy, after all). I always fancy the Joma kits, so I’ll give Feliciano Lopez a nod, too. This has nothing to do with the fact that he’s, in jewell’s words, “extraordinarily beautiful.” No sirree.

That should be enough to get you going. Have fun, and remember that this is your off-topic space for the weekend, so I better see y’all chatting about the World Cup and your weekend plans here, too! To those in the States – happy 4th of July!

by Pete Bodo

Tomas “Bird is the Word” Berdych will play his first Grand Slam final on Sunday, against the California Condor of men’s tennis, Rafael Nadal. The ticket to the championship match for each player was punched in the second-set tiebreaker of his semifinal match, which brings up an interesting aspect of that particular scoring gizmo.

The tiebreaker is highly regarded for its general dramatic value, but even moreso as the light at the end of the tunnel for most excruciatingly close matches. That isn’t true here at Wimbledon, of course, where the Lords of SW19 eschew such crass, practical, melodramatic, broadcast-friendly devices. It’s surprising, given that these same guys went soft a few decades ago and began to provide chairs on court. This enables the players to sit down and put up their feet on changeovers, although it’s not like they have to walk three miles uphill to the other end of the court, even if they do make that commute with monotonous frequency.

Yet as crucial as that match-ending tiebreaker can be, second-set tiebreakers in best-of-five matches are an even more deadly minefield. You lose the first set, then the second-set tiebreaker, and you’re usually out of the match without even experiencing the bittersweet pleasure of having played it. You can ask Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray about all that today, although I expect they’d just as soon not talk about it.

Both men slid out in the chicane of the tiebreaker in the second set today and never recovered, leaving Berdych and Nadal to play for the championship on Sunday. Berdych wriggled through the twisty-turny tiebreaker, but he bumped the guard rails all the way. That, despite the fact that he rocketed out to a 3-0 lead, and held four consecutive set points, all of which he blew in his signature big way.

Unfortunately for Djokovic, he was unable to capitalize on his own resurrection. After turning the score around, he failed to covert two set points of his own, and ultimately lost it, 11-9. Djokovic’s two opportunities were the most important ones, because he was fighting for survival, and once he lost the tiebreaker it was manifest that he’d expended too much physical and emotional energy to mount a new campaign—not against a player with so punishing a serve and such penetrating groundstrokes.

Nadal’s tiebreaker was slightly less dramatic, and distinguished by an uncharacteristic lapse that nearly allowed Murray to pull even at a set apiece. Each man managed just one mini-break over the first 10 points and Murray, who had been getting deeper and deeper under the skin of Nadal’s service games, appeared on the brink of a breakthrough when he served a pair of aces to go up 5-4. Nadal held the next point, but then double-faulted (yes, you read that right) to present Murray with a set point. But Nadal dismissed it with a brilliant, heavily cut cross-court backhand volley off a crisp backhand passing shot.

A let-cord passing shot by Nadal, followed by a forehand that forced a forehand error, ended the tiebreaker, 8-6. Like Djokovic before him, Murray found himself facing an ugly task better suited to a government mule. And he had no taste for it, either. It was a pity, too, because the general level of execution in both matches was terrific; the tiebreakers put the kibosh on that.

That uncharacteristic double-fault by Nadal was a shocker, and you had to wonder if the gift didn’t do Murray more harm than good. But he denied that. “If you look at the next point,” Murray said, “He played it really well, hit a big forehand, then hit a good pass (that cut volley), a great angled volley. There’s nothing you can do about that.”

Or, as Nadal explained when he was asked if he was surprised to win in three sets: “Sure, but he had a few chances. It was in three sets, but this match was decided in very small things. If Andy makes this point (after the double-fault) and win the second set, maybe we are still there. So everything can change, in just one point.”

Or one tiebreaker. It’s too bad the tiebreaker stopped both matches dead in their tracks, because the level of execution was high, the match-ups attractive. In trying to fend off the penetrations of Berdych’s serve and stinging groundstrokes, Djokovic played some of the best defensive tennis ever seen at Wimbledon. But the keyword was “defensive.” As he said afterward: “I wasn’t going for the shots too much. You know, I was kind of waiting for him to make mistake. I was wrong.”

But you could hardly blame Djokovic for laying back and hoping that Berdych would start spraying balls. He came close to doing that in the tiebreaker, when all those set points popped up on the scoreboard. Like Vera Zvonareva, who will play the women’s final tomorrow, Berdych has a rich history of finding creative ways to lose matches that he obviously has the game to win. And like Zvonareva, Berdych believes those days are over; he’s worked hard to overcome a streak of inconsistency (his “head case” tendencies) that has been as baffling as it’s been spectacular. In fact, he mounted a spirited self-defense when he was asked if he viewed himself as a reformed under-performer.

“No, definitely not. I know what I’m doing. Every day I’m gonna go practice. I know why I’m doing that. . .I’m somebody who is trying to win one, two matches in the Grand Slam tournament. Now I’m in a different position. Right now, I’m in the final, but I’m trying the same way I did before. And, you know, that’s just how it is in tennis. I don’t think it’s the right way, just to be looking at the past or to the future. It’s a really tough sport and you can face really tough opponents since the first round. Right now, I’m in the final and that’s it.”

He added that he understands that his movement is the weakest part of his game, and said he’s been working on it, “almost every day.” And he said it was pretty hard work.

Movement is one of Nadal’s strengths, and today he was quick as a cobra. One of the persistent problems Murray faces in matches with Nadal is the degree to which Nadal can deal with Murray’s counter-punching game. Murray has genius for opening up the court and bushwhacking players who are too easily tempted to go for the obvious shot, or lack the wheels to track and return those tricky, angled balls, or the steady hand required to turn the tables when Murray gets cute and toys with the pace of his shots. But Nadal is particularly well-suited to deal with such chicanery.

One particular rally in the seventh game of the second set today was telling. Murray decided to engage Nadal in a cat-and-mouse, backhand-to-backhand slice rally. We’ve seen this kind of thing before; each guy hits six, seven, nine sliced backhands to the other, barely moving his feet. Then someone breaks the pattern and they hit the reset button, starting the rally as if it were a new one. It’s like watching a commercial for the slice backhand: And now, we return to our regular programming. . .  But this time, after two or three shots, Nadal stepped around and simply blasted a forehand. It looked like he hit it has hard as he could.

Trouble was, he hit it so exuberantly that the ball cut a furrow in the dirt beyond the baseline. It was such an impatient, bellicose gesture that the crowed actually laughed. It was like they were watching a guy at the county fair drive the marker up—and clear through—that bell right above the “strongman” level.

But make no mistake, Nadal will probably have his hands full on Sunday. And he knows it. “He (Berdych) did amazing tournament. He beat No. 2 and No. 3 players. Very good match against Federer, very good today against Djokovic. He saved difficult match against Brands. He’s the best of his draw so nobody could be more difficult than Tomas to play in this final.”

Nadal recited Berdych’s assets: very aggressive, very good serve, very good flat shots from the baseline. In so doing, he pretty much created the Frankenstein that one Dr. Roger Federer might design in an effort to rid the world of Nadal. Murray doesn’t quite fit the bill, although he comes close. Think someone more like Juan Martin del Potro. Berdych isn’t too far off that model, and if there’s a tipping point to nudge the scales Nadal’s way on Sunday, it might be an irritatingly psychological one—the edge given him by his experience playing major finals (this being Berdych’s first).

My own feeling is that Berdych might have plenty of trouble handling Nadal’s serve (Murray, a superb returner, had difficulties with it today), which suggests we might see a few tiebreakers. And judging from each finalist’s performance in the chicane today, I have to give the edge to Nadal. But make no mistake, Berdych isn’t going to be pacing the floor in his bedroom on Saturday night.

“The best thing what I like is a good sleep,” Berdych admitted today. “I don’t think is anything gonna disturb me from that.”

WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—Rafael Nadal took apart Andy Murray in straight sets Friday to reach his fourth Wimbledon final and prolong Britain’s 74-year wait for a homegrown male champion.

The top-ranked Spaniard was at his relentless best, whipping topspin forehands from corner to corner, as he beat the fourth-seeded Murray 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-4 to move within one win of a second Wimbledon title and eighth Grand Slam championship.

Nadal will be a heavy favorite in Sunday’s final against 12th-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, who defeated No. 3 Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (9), 6-3 to reach his first Grand Slam title match.
 
Nadal won Wimbledon in 2008, beating Roger Federer in an epic five-set final, but was unable to defend his title last year because of tendinitis in both knees.

By returning to the final in his fourth straight appearance, Nadal ended Murray’s hopes of becoming the first British player to win the men’s title since Fred Perry in 1936. No British man has even reached the final since Henry “Bunny” Austin in 1938, and British men have now lost in 10 Wimbledon semifinals since then.

Even with most of the 15,000-capacity Centre Court crowd willing Murray on, including David Beckham and son Brooklyn in the audience, Nadal was simply too strong and too determined to be stopped.

Nadal fell flat on his back at the baseline after Murray hit a forehand volley long on the first match point.

Nadal converted three of four breakpoint chances, while Murray broke just once. Nadal had 31 winners and only 13 unforced errors in the 189 points played.

“Very, very good match for me,” Nadal said. “To beat Andy you have to play your best tennis always. He’s a big challenge to play against. For me it’s (an) amazing victory against one of the toughest opponents in the world.”

After Nadal saved a set point in the tiebreaker and went up two sets to love, it was always unlikely he would let the lead slip. Even though he went down a break in the third set, Nadal fought back and ran off four games in a row to close out the match.

“For Andy it was important playing at home in Wimbledon,” Nadal said. “That was a little bit more pressure than usual. But Andy’s a very, very nice person and a very, very nice guy and I wish him the best of luck.”

Nadal, who won his fifth French Open title last month, is aiming to win the French and Wimbledon back-to-back for the second time.

“Winning the last tournament at Roland Garros gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “I was a little bit more calm than usual here on (the) important points.”

Nadal is 7-3 against Berdych, including wins in their last six matches.

“I played against him in the quarters in 2007, he’s always a difficult opponent,” Nadal said. “Big serve, very flat and powerful shots from the baseline. It will be very difficult.”

The first set was decided on a single break of serve by Nadal in the ninth game. The Spaniard followed up a deep serve return with a forehand winner to set up break point, which he converted when Murray committed a forehand error. Nadal had only one unforced error in that set.

The second set was a compelling, high-quality affair with Murray holding the upper hand most of the way. Murray actually won more points in the set than Nadal—42 to 41.

Murray held at love in his first three serve games of the set and won 13 straight points on serve at one stage.

Murray held two break points at 4-3, but missed the first with a forehand serve return error after a mobile phone rang in the stands. After the point, he wheeled around to look into the crowd and gestured. On the second break point, Nadal forced the play with punishing forehands that forced a backhand error by Murray.

In the tiebreaker, Murray looked in a strong position after smacking consecutive aces of 125 mph and 133 mph to lead 5-4. When Nadal double-faulted, Murray held a set point on serve at 6-5. But Nadal attacked his second serve and then hit a perfect backhand crosscourt drop volley.

On the next point, Nadal hit a backhand passing shot that clipped the top of the net and skipped past Murray to give the Spaniard a set point. He converted with another big forehand that Murray couldn’t reach. Murray bounced his racket on the turf in frustration.

Berdych, who upset six-time champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, kept up his sparkling run with a straight-set win over Djokovic.

The 24-year-old Berdych is the first Czech to reach the men’s final at the All England Club since Ivan Lendl in 1987. The only Czech to win the men’s title was Jan Kodes in 1973.

“The feeling is absolutely amazing. It is really tough to describe,” Berdych said. “Every young kid, from the first time he hits the ball and thinks to be a tennis player, this is the dream to be in the final of any Grand Slam. This is definitely the biggest tournament for me.”

Berdych dictated most of the play with his big first serves and punishing forehand, and seized command of the match by winning a dramatic second-set tiebreaker.

Berdych lost serve just once in 16 games and broke Djokovic three times. The Czech had 11 aces, 34 winners and 17 unforced errors.

It was Berdych’s first win over Djokovic after two defeats. Djokovic, winner of the 2008 Australian Open, fell short in his bid to reach a third Grand Slam final.

Djokovic hurt his own chances with eight double faults, including two in a row in the eighth game of the third set to lose serve and give Berdych the chance to serve out the match.

“He’s just a better player today on the court,” Djokovic said. “When I had the opportunities, I didn’t use them. In important moments I served some double faults. I was a little bit unfortunate in some points. But definitely didn’t take my chances and he used it, so he deserved to win.”

The 70-minute second set was a mini-match in itself featuring some spectacular points, controversial calls, sudden changes in momentum and saved set points by both players in a rollercoaster tiebreaker.

With Berdych serving for the set at 6-5, Djokovic broke for the first time to set up the tiebreaker. Djokovic double-faulted to go down 6-2, handing Berdych four set points.

After saving the first three, Djokovic served at 5-6. He played tremendous defense on a rally of 23 strokes. Berdych hit a forehand and came to the net, and Djokovic flipped a lob that landed at the baseline but was called out. Berdych let up and casually hit the ball with his back to the net.

The video replay showed the shot was good, and chair umpire Carlos Ramos of Portugal ordered the point replayed.

“What do you mean?” Djokovic screamed at him, thinking he should be awarded the point. He protested only briefly, then won the replayed point with a backhand winner for 6-all.

Djokovic then had two set points himself but couldn’t convert. Berdych saved one with a service winner and one with a big forehand.

With Djokovic serving at 9-10—Berdych’s sixth set point—he double-faulted. When Djokovic reached his chair, he knocked it over with a whack of his racket. The umpire gave him a code violation for racket abuse, and Djokovic applauded sarcastically.

“I thought at that moment the referee was wrong,” he said. “I continued on playing. Maybe it would be a turning point if I won that second-set tiebreaker. Who knows? Maybe.”

WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—Tomas Berdych swept Novak Djokovic in straight sets at Wimbledon on Friday to reach his first Grand Slam final.

The 12th-seeded Czech, who upset six-time champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, kept up his sparkling run with a 6-3, 7-6 (9), 6-3 win Friday over the third-ranked Serb on Centre Court.

Berdych’s opponent in Sunday’s final will be the winner of the second semifinal between Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
 
The 24-year-old Berdych is the first Czech to reach the men’s final at the All England Club since Ivan Lendl in 1987. The only Czech to win the men’s title was Jan Kodes in 1973.

“The feeling is absolutely amazing. It is really tough to describe,” Berdych said. “Every young kid, from the first time he hits the ball and thinks to be a tennis player, this is the dream to be in the final of any Grand Slam. This is definitely the biggest tournament for me.”

Berdych dictated most of the play with his big first serves and punishing forehand, and seized command of the match by winning a dramatic second-set tiebreaker.

Berdych lost serve just once in 16 games and broke Djokovic three times. The Czech had 11 aces, 34 winners and 17 unforced errors.

It was Berdych’s first win over Djokovic after two defeats. Djokovic, winner of the 2008 Australian Open, fell short in his bid to reach a third Grand Slam final.

Djokovic hurt his own chances with eight double faults, including two in a row in the eighth game of the third set to lose serve and give Berdych the chance to serve out the match.

“He’s just a better player today on the court,” Djokovic said. “When I had the opportunities, I didn’t use them. In important moments I served some double faults. I was a little bit unfortunate in some points. But definitely didn’t take my chances and he used it, so he deserved to win.”

The 70-minute second set was a mini-match in itself featuring some spectacular points, controversial calls, sudden changes in momentum and saved set points by both players in a rollercoaster tiebreaker.

With Berdych serving for the set at 6-5, Djokovic broke for the first time to set up the tiebreaker. Djokovic double-faulted to go down 6-2, handing Berdych four set points.

After saving the first three, Djokovic served at 5-6. He played tremendous defense on a rally of 23 strokes. Berdych hit a forehand and came to the net, and Djokovic flipped a lob that landed at the baseline but was called out. Berdych let up and casually hit the ball with his back to the net.

The video replay showed the shot was good, and chair umpire Carlos Ramos of Portugal ordered the point replayed.

“What do you mean?” Djokovic screamed at him, thinking he should be awarded the point. He protested only briefly, then won the replayed point with a backhand winner for 6-all.

Djokovic then had two set points himself but couldn’t convert. Berdych saved one with a service winner and one with a big forehand.

With Djokovic serving at 9-10—Berdych’s sixth set point—he double-faulted. When Djokovic reached his chair, he knocked it over with a whack of his racket. The umpire gave him a code violation for racket abuse, and Djokovic applauded sarcastically.

“I thought at that moment the referee was wrong,” he said. “I continued on playing. Maybe it would be a turning point if I won that second-set tiebreaker. Who knows? Maybe.”

Djokovic looked increasingly tired in the third set and served the back-to-back double faults to trail 5-3. In the next game, Berdych hit a service winner on his second match point.

“I didn’t feel great on the court,” Djokovic said. “I don’t know why. In that third set I kind of dropped the energy level and wasn’t managing to step it up and be aggressive.”

Howdy. I just had to walk all the way back up to the house because I left my Blackberry behind this morning, so this one will be brief – Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych are going to march out onto Centre Court in about, oh, five minutes.

Last night, I had a nice dinner with a bunch of folks, including Brad Gilbert and Cliff Drysdale. Brad’s two kids, Zack and Julie, were there. They’re impressive kids – smart, polite, personable; I’m sure some of you would have trouble believing they’re spawn of Brad, one of my favorite people in this screwy sport. Uncouth American, motormouth, all that. . . None of which I buy. I mean, the guy loves tennis with a passion, had all the street cred you could ask as former player and coach, and he’ll talk to anyone. And talk. I love that Brad calls Cliffy “Lord Drysdale.”

You can’t always judge parents by the quality of the kids they produce, at least not when those kids fall victim to adolescent struggles or temptations. But good kids almost always suggest good parents. Anyway, Brad is really high on Novak Djokovic and thinks he’ll have little trouble with Tomas Berdych today. I’m going the other way. Berdych in four.

This morning, we (the media) also met with Stacy Allaster of the WTA Tour (check Tom Perrotta’s Wimbledon Wire for the little hard news that came out of that). And we also had our last supper, er, presser, with Serena Williams. Now that Justine Henin is out of action with a bum elbow, Serena has been recruited to replace her in the Belgian exhibition next week. So the Best of Belgium has suddenly morphed into Best of the World.

It occurred to me that this Wimbledon is shaping up as Serena’s Grand Slam masterpiece, as exemplified by the way she’s been serving (80 aces so far). So I asked her about it. She replied: “I definitely think that my serve so far has done well, I’m hoping to do well one more match. Then I kind of have to analyze it, more than anything.”

Enjoy the tennis, feel free to post your thoughts on today’s action below.

– Pete

WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—Serena Williams defeated unseeded Petra Kvitova in straight sets Thursday to reach her third straight Wimbledon final and sixth overall.

The top-ranked Williams overcame a stiff challenge in the first set from the 62nd-ranked Czech player, then pulled away for a 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory.

Williams is now one win away from her fourth Wimbledon title and 13th Grand Slam championship.

She advanced to Saturday’s final against 21st-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva, who rallied to beat Tsvetana Pironkova 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the day’s first match on Centre Court and reached her first major title match.

It’s the 10th time in the last 11 years that at least one of the Williams sisters has advanced to the final. Venus and Serena have won eight titles.

Serena has never beaten anyone other than her older sister in the championship match. Serena defeated Venus in the 2002, 2003 and 2009 finals.

Serena has a 12-3 record in Grand Slam finals and will be heavily favored to beat Zvonareva. Williams has won five of their previous six matches.

“Vera’s a great player who I had some unbelievable matches against her so she’s really tough,” Williams said. “I feel like I have nothing to lose going into the final and she doesn’t either so it will be good.”

Williams, who came into Thursday’s match with a Wimbledon women’s record of 73 aces, had only seven aces but came up with big serves when she needed them.

Kvitova, a left-hander playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal, went for broke and had more winners (24 to 19) than Williams but also more unforced errors (20 to 14).

“It definitely wasn’t easy,” Williams said after the 93-minute match. “I definitely had to work really hard. I didn’t expect to get this far the way I started at the beginning of the tournament.

“I just felt off but I’m just happy to still be here. It’s such a blessing to be able to still be in the tournament.”

The 20-year-old Kvitova—who had lost in the first round in the previous two Wimbledons—pushed Williams to the limit in the first set, often controlling the play with her groundstrokes and pinning the champion behind the baseline.

Kvitova broke for 3-2, saved a break point in the next game and held to go up 4-2. But Williams broke back in the eighth game after Kvitova, holding a point for 5-3, missed three straight forehands to lose serve.

Williams went ahead 4-0 in the tiebreaker, let the lead slip to 4-3 and missed two set points before closing it out with a 115 mph service winner.

Williams was in command in the second set and broke twice. She finished the match with a backhand that hit the net cord and dropped over for a winner, then acknowledged the crowd with a wave and a small curtsy.

The match was highlighted by arguably the point of the tournament, a 19-stroke rally in the sixth game of the second set that left both players gasping for breath. The point featured great gets by both players, lobs, volleys and finally a forehand volley winner by Kvitova. Two points later, she double-faulted for the break.

“That was really exciting. Believe it or not, I even thought so,” Williams said. “I thought if I could have won that rally it would have been an awesome fist pump.”

Asked about her competitive edge in big matches, Williams said, “I don’t know, maybe it’s just because I’m a little crazy.”

In the first match, Zvonareva came from a set down to beat the 82nd-ranked Bulgarian. The Russian was in complete command after breaking in the sixth game of the second set, winning 10 of the last 13 games.

Zvonareva has battled a reputation for fading in big matches but held her nerve on the biggest stage in tennis.

Zvonareva became the second-lowest ranked player to make the Wimbledon women’s final. In the process, she prevented Pironkova from becoming the first ever unseeded women’s singles finalist at the All England Club.

“I’m very excited. I think I’m not realizing it at the moment,” said Zvonareva, who wore a towel over her head during changeovers to maintain concentration. “It was very tough out there. She’s a very young player but a very, very tough opponent and she started so well. I’m happy with the way I was able to hang in the match and able to turn it around.”

The 25-year-old Zvonareva’s previous best showing in a Grand Slam was a semifinal appearance at the 2009 Australian Open.

Pironkova, who stunned five-time champion Venus Williams in the quarterfinals, seemed in control after breaking Zvonareva in the sixth game and taking the first set in 32 minutes.

But the matched turned around completely after the Russian converted on her first break point to go up 4-2 in the second set. She went to the net behind a forehand approach and put away a backhand winner for the break.

From the middle of the second set, Zvonareva dictated the pace and won six of seven games at one stage. She broke two more times in the third set and served out the match convincingly, finishing with an inside-out forehand winner.

Zvonareva had 31 winners and 13 unforced errors, while Pironkova had 23 winners and 16 errors.

Zvonareva has long been considered a top talent in the game, but someone who has failed to live up to her potential, even breaking into tears during matches.

“She was so emotional and would get down on herself, and now she seems like one of the most composed players on the WTA Tour,” said former Wimbledon champion Lindsay Davenport. “For her it was a mental game, and so far it hasn’t been a problem.”

The men’s semifinals are Friday, with second-seeded Rafael Nadal facing No. 4 Andy Murray, and No. 3 Novak Djokovic playing Tomas Berdych. Nadal leads Murray 7-3, while Djokovic is 2-0 against Berdych.

Missing from the semifinals for the first time since 2002 is six-time champion Roger Federer, who was beaten in four sets by Berdych in the quarters.

WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—For the first time in eight years, Roger Federer won’t be striding onto Centre Court for the Wimbledon final.

The six-time champion was upset in the quarterfinals by big-hitting Tomas Berdych on Wednesday, stopping his bid for a record-tying seventh title at the All England Club and extending his recent stretch of disappointing play.

The 12th-seeded Berdych used his big serve and forehand to beat Federer 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, on Centre Court for the biggest victory of the Czech’s career.
 
Berdych will meet No. 3 Novak Djokovic for a spot in the final, with No. 2 Rafael Nadal facing No. 4 Andy Murray in the other semifinal.

It’s the first time since 2002 that Federer has failed to reach the final. Since losing in the first round eight years ago, Federer had played in the championship match a record seven consecutive times. He won the title six times and finished runner-up once, bolstering his reputation as the greatest player of all-time.

Winner of a record 16 Grand Slam titles, Federer said he was unable to play his best tennis Wednesday because of pain in his back and right leg.

“I couldn’t play the way I wanted to play,” said Federer, who had been chasing the record of seven titles won by Pete Sampras and 19th-century player William Renshaw. “I am struggling with a little bit of a back and a leg issue. That just doesn’t quite allow me to play the way I would like to play. It’s frustrating, to say the least.”

Berdych said he didn’t notice anything wrong with Federer.

“I don’t know if he is just looking for some excuses after the match or something like that,” he said. “I think he was 100 percent ready.”

Berdych ripped a clean forehand winner on his second match point to become the first Czech to reach the men’s semifinals since Ivan Lendl in 1990.

“Not many other moments can compare to this one,” Berdych said. “Standing on Centre Court here in Wimbledon, beating the six-time champion here. It couldn’t be better. But there is still one match to feel better feelings than this one. I hope I can get to that.”

Berdych will next face Djokovic, who swept past Yen-hsun Lu in straight sets to reach the semifinals for the second time. The third-seeded Djokovic never faced a break point as he beat the 82nd-ranked Taiwanese player 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in less than two hours on Court 1.

Nadal, who beat Federer in the 2008 final, lost the first five games of the match but rallied to defeat No. 6 Robin Soderling 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-1. It was a rematch of this year’s French Open final, which the Spaniard also won.

Nadal will play Murray, who defeated 10th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-2 to make the semis for the second straight year. Murray rallied after losing his first set and punctuated the victory with a vicious forehand winner on match point.

Murray is bidding to become the first British player to win the men’s title at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936. The last British man to reach the final was Bunny Austin in 1938.

With the loss, Federer will drop to No. 3 in the ATP rankings next week for the first time since Nov. 10, 2003. Since winning the Australian Open in January, he has failed to win a tournament.

Federer said his leg and back have been bothering him since the grass-court tournament in Halle, Germany, the week before Wimbledon. He hadn’t previously mentioned any injury problems.

“When you’re hurting, it’s just a combination of many things,” Federer said. “You just don’t feel as comfortable. You can’t concentrate on each and every point because you do feel the pain sometimes. You tend to play differently than the way you want to play.

“Under the circumstances, I think I played a decent match,” he added. “But I’ve been feeling bad for the last two, three matches now. If there’s anything good about this, it’s that I’m going to get some rest.”

Federer was playing in his 25th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal. He had won 23 straight, but now has lost two in a row. Federer fell to Soderling at the French Open earlier this month.

Federer had won 76 of 77 grass-court matches dating to 2003 coming into this month, but has now lost two of the past six, including to Lleyton Hewitt in Halle.

Federer was clearly outplayed Wednesday by a man who has always possessed enormous talent but often failed to live up to expectations.

The 6-foot-5 (1.96 m) Berdych was on the offensive for most of the match, smacking first serves consistently in the 130s mph (above 210 kph), winding up to rip forehand winners and not buckling under pressure. He hit 51 winners, compared to 44 for Federer.

“He played well when he had to,” Federer said. “It was brutal for me. Every time he had a chance, he took it. On the break points, he played great on those. … When I did have chances, I played poorly. It was just a frustrating match the way it all went.”

Berdych broke Federer four times, with the final break coming in the seventh game of the fourth set. Berdych served 12 aces, was broken just once and saved seven of eight break points.

Federer came in with an 8-2 career record against Berdych, having lost the first match at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the last in Miami this year.

“I don’t think I played poorly,” Federer said. “I think he went after it. I know Berdych. I think I’ve played him 10 times already before. That’s the way he plays.

“I think he’s been able to play more consistent last year or so, and I was just not able to defend well enough and I didn’t come up with the good stuff when I had to. It was disappointing.”

Lu stunned three-time finalist Andy Roddick in the fourth round, but couldn’t replicate that performance against Djokovic, the 2008 Australian Open champion.

Djokovic lost just 12 points in 13 service games. He won 26 of his first 28 service points, including 15 in a row. The Serb had 29 winners and 17 unforced errors, and converted five of 15 break points.

“Nothing is easy these days, especially at this stage of the tournament,” Djokovic said. “But the way I played, I deserved to win. I was hitting all the shots and I was really playing very solid from all parts of the court. I’m very, very happy with the performance today.”

Djokovic reached the semifinals here in 2007 but had to retire against Nadal with a foot injury while trailing in the third set.

“This time physically I’m fitter,” Djokovic said. “Those were very strange conditions and circumstances. I had to play three very long matches in three days and couldn’t hold on in the semifinal. This time everything is in order and I’ll give my best.”