China’s Zheng Jie returns the ball to her Czech opponent Nicole Vaidisova during their quarter-final tennis match of the 2008 Wimbledon championships at The All England Tennis Club in London, July 1, 2008. Zheng won 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
The remarkable Zheng Jie upset 18th seed Nicole Vaidisova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 Tuesday to reach the Wimbledon semifinals where she will meet former champion Serena Williams.
Wildcard Zheng, who upset top seed Ana Ivanovic in the third round, broke Vaidisova twice in the opening set, both times when the Czech double faulted on break point. Zheng, in turn, saved six break points in the set.
The Chinese, a former world No. 27 who came into the tournament ranked 133 after injuries, dropped a set for the first time here when Vaidisova broke her for the second time in the 11th game of the second set and went on to level the match.
However, Zheng proved the more resilient, racing away with the third set, although she needed a third match point to settle it when the Czech sent a return into the net.
The win meant that Zheng became the first Chinese player to reach the semifinals of a grand slam tournament.
The 24-year-old, who is playing at Wimbledon for only the third time, is also the first female wildcard entrant to ever reach the semifinals at the All England Club and second at any grand slam.