LONDON – It took Karolina Pliskova almost a decade of trying before she finally reached the Wimbledon semi-finals with a rapid-fire 6-2 6-2 win over little-known Swiss Viktorija Golubic on Tuesday.
Neither player had even made it to the last eight of Wimbledon before this week but it was Czech Pliskova, a former world number one, who made her greater big-stage experience count.
It was a very noisy affair on Court One, but not because the players were creating a racket.
The torrential downpour that kept beating down on the translucent roof often drowned out the shots being exchanged by the players and after Golubic saved a break point to draw level at 2-2 in the first set her game unravelled spectacularly.
Eighth seed Pliskova romped through the next seven games, dropping only four points on serve en route to taking the first set, as she steamed ahead 6-2 3-0.
Golubic owns a glorious one-handed backhand but unfortunately there were only fleeting sightings of her trademark shot as Pliskova's greater firepower proved decisive.
A forehand into the tramlines from Golubic handed victory to the Czech, who has reached the last four without dropping a set.
She will next meet either Tunisia's Ons Jabeur or Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka for a place in Saturday's final.
Reuters