Pironkova played part in absorbing semi

With all due respect to the Misses Zvonareva and Pironkova, the first of the ladies' semi-finals did not exactly set the pulses racing when the order of play was published.

It was not that anyone doubted their natural skill with racket and ball - they had more than proved their ability and competitive edge in the previous five rounds - it was just that neither woman was particularly experienced in dealing with the sharp end of Grand Slam tournaments.

Vera Zvonareva did reach the Australian Open semi-final last year, but it was her one and only appearance in the last four in 29 Grand Slam campaigns. There was every chance, then, that the nerves could kick in and that neither woman would be able to play to their potential.

But that theory was soon debunked in the opening couple of games - they were both hitting freely and serving cleanly. Good grief - why had we not seen these two battling for the right to play in a major final before? With luck and the confidence they have gathered from their trip to SW19, there is every chance that we might see them more regularly from now on.

It is fair to say that Tsvetana Pironkova is a true product of her country. Her favourite food? Bulgarian. Her favourite country? Bulgaria. Her favourite type of music? Bulgarian. As she strode purposefully onto the world stage, she clearly remembered to take her Bulgarian flag with her. Her country's tourist authority ought to sign her up - she has been doing a doing a cracking job of promoting Bulgaria these past couple of weeks.

Such dedication to the national cause has brought rewards. With no previous track record here in SW19 - one match won in four previous visits - she had not thought she would be staying around too long. As a result, she had only booked up her accommodation until the first Thursday. When she started ripping through the draw, she suddenly found herself homeless.

That was when the head of the Bulgarian tennis federation came up with a cunning plan and called the embassy in London. They in turn, took pity on the nation's unpaid publicist and put her up in a very swanky flat in South Kensington. A few Wimbledon tickets may or may not have changed hands, too (one of the players' perks is access to Centre Court tickets) as the Bulgarian ambassador has since been spotted watching the tennis in the sunshine. Still, as the saying goes: fair exchange is no robbery.

Then again, Zvonareva is no stranger to the world of international diplomacy herself. When she was laid off for a few months with a wrist injury in 2007, she decided to put her unwanted free time to good use and enrolled at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

This revelation came as something of a surprise. Zvonareva may be awfully bright - with a degree in physical education - and she may be extremely nice but she is, shall we say, a little emotional on court. International diplomacy and our Vera do not, at first glance, make obvious bedfellows. More than a couple of rackets have given their all for the sake of her career and, burying her head in a towel at every change of ends, she has been known to cry during her matches, whether winning or losing.

Perhaps the extra homework has helped Zvonareva calm her nerves and control her fears. In the past, she has turned even the simplest of encounters into emotional rollercoaster rides but in her six matches here, she has managed to hold her nerve and just concentrate on walloping the ball.

Pironkova helped considerably with this, mind you. She played a blinder in the first set, confusing and bemusing her Russian rival with a range of spin and pace and, at the same time, whacking her serve. It was the tactic that had tied Venus Williams up in knots and it was doing much the same to the Russian. Zvonareva did not have time to get over-excited; she was too busy chasing after thumping backhands and feathered forehands.

But once Pironkova had taken the first set, Zvonareva started to flex her muscles in the second and then ran away with the match in the third. She had waited for 10 years, a decade of ups and downs thanks injury problems and missed opportunities, and now, finally, she was healthy, happy and completely in control. Bring on the final.