LONDON: Eugenie Bouchard became the first Canadian to reach a grand slam singles final on Thursday when she defeated Romania’s Simona Halep in the Wimbledon semi-finals.

The 20-year-old world number 13 beat the third seed and French Open runner-up 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 and will take on Czech sixth seed Petra Kvitova, the 2011 champion, in Saturday’s final.

Tall, blonde Bouchard, a marketing dream for the women’s game with her photogenic looks, athleticism and confident, positive demeanour, will also rise to number seven in the world rankings, the highest position ever achieved by a Canadian player.

Halep, the highest seed left in the draw after the shock defeats of Serena Williams and Li Na, suffered a nasty fall in the fifth game of the opening set when she jarred her left ankle into the bone-dry Centre Court.

Play was also held up in the first set tiebreak when a fan was overcome by the 30-degree heat and had to be helped from the court.

But the distractions did not hinder Bouchard who achieved her first win over a top-five player at the sixth attempt although she needed six match points to get the job done.

In front of a crowd which included Oscar winning actors, Colin Firth and Maggie Smith, it was Halep who broke first for 2-1 before Bouchard, playing in her third Grand Slam semi-final of the year, hit back for 2-2.

Halep then needed a medical time-out after a worrying slip on the dry, grassless baseline which caused her to turn her left ankle.

The Romanian held firm, fighting off a break point in the eighth game to take the first set into the tiebreaker where play was halted again with Halep 3-2 to the good when a fan collapsed on the hottest day of the year in London.

Bouchard broke for a 2-1 lead in the second set courtesy of two double faults and secured a double break for 5-1.

There was a moment of tension in the seventh game when Bouchard saw a match point swallowed up by an ace which stood despite her having stopped when a fan screamed out from the crowd.

A few nervy moments followed as five match points came and went but victory was secured when a tiring Halep, playing for the third time in three days, netted a service return.

Earlier, Kvitova swept into her second Wimbledon final with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 victory over fellow Czech and close friend Lucie Safarova.

Kvitova is now one more victory away from lifting the Venus Rosewater dish for the second time after seeing off 23rd seed Safarova with 24 winners and eight aces in 80 minutes on Centre Court.

Kvitova, 24, is back in a Grand Slam final for the first time since that surprise triumph against Maria Sharapova at the All England Club three years ago.

Kvitova has been in fine form over the last fortnight, dropping just one set en route to the final and was playing in her third Wimbledon semi-final.

In contrast, Safarova, 27, was making her Grand Slam semi-final debut at the 37th attempt.

Late on Wednesday, Milos Raonic became the first Canadian man to reach the Wimbledon men’s semi-finals in 106 years when he ended the giant-killing run of Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios.

The eighth-seeded Raonic will tackle seven-time champion Roger Federer for a place in Sunday’s final after seeing off world number 144 Kyrgios, who beat Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).

Robert Powell in 1908 was the last Canadian man to make the last-four at the All England Club.

Raonic fired 39 aces and 73 winners past Kyrgios. He allowed just 20 points off his own serve and only three in the fourth set.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2014