Modest Kvitova out to humble Serena

If humility was a sign of a true champion then unseeded Czech Petra Kvitova would be in with a real chance of upsetting the odds and beating Serena Williams in their semifinal showdown on Thursday.

The 20-year-old, who is ranked 62 in the world and had never won a match on grass before these championships, has left a scattering of seeds in her wake to set up her clash with the defending champion.

But can she go all the way and lift the famous Rosewater Dish to rapturous applause on Centre Court?

"No, I don't think so," she said after saving five match points to beat Estonia's Kaia Kanepi in her quarterfinal.

"Maybe I can lose to Serena. I don't know what I can say."

After the demise of her sister Venus at the hands of Tsvetana Pironkova in the previous round, Serena is overwhelming favourite to clinch her fourth singles title at the All England Club.

The mercury may have soared during Wimbledon's opening nine days but Serena has barely broken sweat as she has brushed aside her opponents without dropping a set.

She out-grunted and out-muscled Maria Sharapova to avenge her 2004 final defeat and clinically dispatched China's Li Na.

Serena won the opening set in her first three rounds without dropping a game and has pelted down 73 aces on her way to the semifinals.

But, nonetheless, she has dismissed all talk of having one hand already on the trophy.

"It's not mine to lose, it's mine to win if I can get it, she said after beating Li. "There's three other people that are vying to win it. They have just as good a chance as I do."

Kvitova, who lost her only previous match against Serena 6-2 6-1 at the Australian Open in January, is one of three surprise packages to have made it through to the semifinals.

She beat 14th seed Victoria Azarenka in the third round and also put paid to third seed Caroline Wozniacki's hopes of a maiden grand slam title in the last 16.

"She's a good player," Serena said of Thursday's opponent.

"I saw her playing a couple rounds and I was like, 'wow, she's doing really well'.

"She was just hitting the ball so clean. Obviously, when she beat Wozniacki I wasn't surprised, because I just saw how well she was doing and how well she was playing. She's a really tough player, especially on grass."

PIRONKOVA AND ZVONAREVA PREPARE FOR UNLIKELY SEMI

Tsvetana Pironkova has put Bulgaria back on the tennis map by knocking out Venus Williams to set up a Wimbledon semifinal showdown with Vera Zvonareva of Russia.

Ranked 82nd in the world, Pironkova dumped five-times champion Williams out of the tournament 6-2 6-3, to become the first Bulgarian woman to reach a grand slam semi in the open era.

Not bad for someone without a grass court in her homeland and a grand slam record that until now had not stretched beyond the second round.

The 22-year-old graced a media frenzy once before having shocked Venus in the Australian Open in 2006, only to lose in the next round. Now she must master the limelight as well as 2009 Australian Open semifinalist, Zvonareva.

The Russian, seeded 21, came up with a shock of her own to make the last four of Wimbledon with victory in over US Open champion Kim Clijsters.

She is also enjoying a Wimbledon best, having previously never gone beyond the fourth round at the All England Club.

Zvonareva and Pironkova have met once before, last year in Moscow with the Bulgarian sauntering to victory 6-0 6-2.

"You know, it's hard to predict what she's doing on the court," said 25-year-old Zvonareva.

"You never know what to expect, so you lose your rhythm. Then you start thinking maybe too much on the court. I just know that in that match I will have to concentrate on myself... no matter what's she's trying to do."

The winner will face either Wimbledon champion Serena Williams or Czech Republic youngster Petra Kvitova in the final on Saturday.