By Alison Wildey
LONDON (Reuters) - Serena Williams fended off a determined challenge from unseeded Czech Petra Kvitova on Thursday to book a Wimbledon final date against Russian 21st seed Vera Zvonareva.
"I definitely worked really hard," the defending champion and top seed said in a courtside interview after the 7-6 6-2 victory. "I didn't expect to get as far at the beginning of the tournament.
"It's such a blessing to still be in the tournament."
Zvonareva has already got the better of Williams once at this year's tournament when she and partner Elena Vesnina beat Serena and sister Venus in the women's doubles Wednesday.
Kvitova, the world number 62, had been expected to be little more than a sacrificial lamb on Williams' route to a fourth crown at the All England Club, but the feisty Czech gave as good as she got in a tight first set.
From the off the 20-year-old Kvitova showed she was going to be no pushover, drawing an appreciative 'ooh' from the Center Court crowd with a crosscourt forehand before earning a break point in the opening game.
The left-hander saved a break point in the next game and won her second service game against Williams to love, defying some observers who had predicted a Serena whitewash.
She was quick around the court, held her own in the longer rallies and produced some exquisitely placed shots in a first-set performance that defied her lowly world ranking.
The pressure and the breezy conditions seemed to get to Williams who struggled with her forehand and was broken in the fifth game.
The American broke back for 4-4 and finally found her feet when the set went into a tiebreak.
Williams' first serve was challenged by Kvitova but Hawk-Eye showed it had correctly been called in.
That decision seemed to galvanize Williams, although it still took a third set point for her to win the tiebreak 7-5 with a huge 115mph service bomb that Kvitova could barely get her racket to.
Kvitova battled defiantly in the second set but Williams had found her stride.
A double fault handed Williams her second break for a 5-2 lead, although the 28-year-old still needed a piece of luck to seal victory on her third match point.
The ball hit the net cord and dropped like a stone just out of reach of a desperately onrushing Kvitova.
Serena held up her hand in apology as she walked to the net and commiserated with her opponent before performing a curtsy to the applauding crowd.
(Editing by Miles Evans)
