Wimbledon: Women's Quarterfinals

What an absolute stunner of a day!  Just when you thought the women's tour couldn't any wilder!  And you tell me, which is a bigger upset:  Pironkova over Venus or Lu over Roddick?  It's tough to decide but I think Venus losing is.

1) Serena Williams (USA) def. 9) Na Li (CHN) 7-5, 6-3
Serena reaches her 19th slam semifinal and 7th at Wimbledon.  She has an unbelievable record in semis (15-3) and has lost just once in six Wimbledon semis.  Her last semi was the '10 Aussie Open, a win over Na Li. This was really the kind of match I was anticipating with Serena pulling it out after some tight sets.  Li stays at #9 in the rankings though a Zvonareva win relegates her to #10.  Li is having another solid year.

Petra Kvitova (CZE) def. Kaia Kanepi (EST) 4-6, 7-6, 8-6
Kvitova reaches her 1st slam semifinal and seems to have a bright future.  Kanepi seems to have regained the form that got her into the top 20 last year, though it was a choke job today as she 4-0 in the 2nd set.  Kvitova is the leader at Wimbledon in break points converted with 23, and ironically, Kanepi is 2nd with 22.  That one break proved to be the difference in the match.

21) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) def. 8) Kim Clijsters (BEL) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Zvonareva is into her 2nd slam semifinal and 1st at Wimbledon.  Her only other appearance at this level was a loss to Safina at the '09 Aussie Open.  I thought for sure she was in trouble after failing to serve out the 2nd set at 5-3 but then broke Kim and continued to break her.  I'm not sure where this leaves Clijsters though she is recovering from injury.  Vera is now #11 in the virtual rankings and would jump to #9 with a final appearance.  Clijsters will be ranked #7.

Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) def. 2) Venus Williams (USA) 6-2, 6-3
The Bulgarian is through to her 1st slam semifinal, and yes, I am sure I didn't switch the names.  Part of the reason could be found in the serve speed rankings where she is tied for 3rd behind the Williams sisters.  She is yet to drop a set.  Venus will officially drop in the rankings to #4 after her loss and her inconsistent play continues to haunt.

Break points converted has proved be a telling stat:  1) Kvitova-23, 2) Kanepi-22, 4) Zvonareva-20, 5) both Williams-19, 7) Pironkova-18, among those at 8) Clijsters and Li-16

Last years women with semifinal points to defend never showed up at Wimbledon:  Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina.

Thursday's semis are not what anyone would have thought when the draw came out:
S.Williams vs Kvitova
Zvonareva vs Pironkova