Day 8 Today at Wimbledon

anybody's title. In the mix, a former finalist and a Pope read from

many different countries. One of won 34 straight matches, is out.

Knows Serena, no marina, no Victoria. Is this Wimbledon at the

continues. Six European countries represented in the last eight, and a

player from the USA and also from China, and Tracey and Lindsey are

going to be here tonight. Who could we bring in tonight other than the

one and only Chris Abbott? And Pat Cash, who can reflect on who might

be the contender to the Williams Crown. -- the one and only Chris

Evatt. There are two people here who have been involved for quite a while

now. Wimbledon, the quarterfinals, starring Agnieska Radwanska,

runner-up here last year. A Polish player full of guile, whose Mrs --

used this out weaknesses. And featuring Li Na, a Chinese

superstar. Her modest demeanour belies an inner fire. The opening

set of this match was probably the best of the championship so far in

what turned out to be the best women's singles so far. Here we are

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

at set point for Li Na in the first Radwanska is doing all of the

running. Asking the questions continuously. Radwanska is having to

come up with seven, eight, nine ground strokes per rally. She is

very content now to get balls in the court, slicing some balls back, but

playing the majority of this match wants to play. I think that's the

way she's been forced to play. Li Na's level has really risen late in

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

this set. That's why she's got this set, Radwanska. That is a good

word, because she should have been sitting on a changeover now.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

Starting with, I believe, that first angle to cup that serve off. Perfect

shot. A lifeline point for the set, two breaks in a row. If you

didn't know much about Radwanska, that game just sums her up.

JOHN INVERDALE: A key moment was that serve from Li Na.

She looked at the umpire. The umpire said it was out. She didn't

challenge, but if she had, the ball was in and she would have won the

set. A few moments later, here is Radwanska at 6-5. And that tie-break

was won by the Polish player. It seemed that Li Na had an impossible

mountain to climb in the second set. The Polish player was just two games

was a slap, but she didn't think she would even have a shot. Look, she is

just standing there. The point is open court. She's been trying to go

behind Radwanska, but Radwanska is not only quick. She also anticipates

very well, and has guest write on a suddenly picks up in a match, when

it's not been there? Very complicated. You've got to alter the

serves now. That's nervous. She is trying to go for more on the first

serve. She has to get back to getting a higher percentage of first

too. Exactly. Li is taking advantage of the little wind behind her. That

was not an easy overhead. Another track.

JOHN INVERDALE: She was more than back on track. Two games later, she

was right back in the match. Then it was one set apiece. At that stage,

it really was anybody's game. It did seem as though an injury timeout

which required a huge amount of strapping for the right thigh of red

ones can might be the determining factor in the third set, but

actually, she dominated the opening exchanges. Here she is just two

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

points away from a place in the amazing how far off the court Li Na

has allowed herself to get off on that side. It opens things up for

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

speed gun! It went below 60 miles an number is? Six chance to book a

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

happens there. That was a great up with some of her best returns

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

had a really tough two matches last week, so I am definitely really

happy to go through. Even when I was struggling at the beginning of the

third set, I am still really happy to be in the semi-final. Just to ask

you about your legs. Your bottom half looks like a mummy, there is so

much wrapping around your right thigh. How are they feeling at the

moment? Just too much tennis in the last few days. That is why I was

struggling with that. I think it is a good problem to have, so I will

just keep going and do my best in the semi-final. It was a great

contest and it could have gone either way. Just tiny margins

determined that Radwanska one. thought it was I high-quality

match. When she did have an ace, it would have been set point and she

could have won the set, so it was almost like, for most of the match,

Li was the better grass court player. Radwanska is great

defensively, and she can change it very quickly to offensively. And she

has got every shot in the book. have got to love Li. She comes

forward, hits the volley, and although she is not a big girl, she

did well. We didn't have a lot of power tennis there, but a lot of

finesse and skill. It was a great sceptical. It was a great contrast,

because Li is almost mechanical. Radwanska is very creative. I do not

know when -- where she gets these shots from. It is almost like a

throwback from when we were playing. There is a reticence on the part of

the women's players to challenge calls. Perhaps more than the men

would do. I can't believe she wouldn't challenge that call. You

cannot take the word of the umpire, who is on the other side of the

court. It is a common issue. The players look up to the umpire and

ask if it is in or out. But you've got to trust your own judgement.

it was set point! If it is even close, you have got to question it.

She is going to watch that tonight and think that it could have been

her match. Let's move on and see who the winner of that match is going to

Starring Sabine Lisicki, straight from her award-winning performance

against Serena Williams. A big serve, a winning smile, a new crowd

favourite. Introducing Kaia Kanepi. British heartbreaker after defeating

Laura Robson. The stony and packs a punch. Grass is her service will --

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

UMPIRE: Mrs Kanepi is challenging overruled that call. And she was

wrong. But it didn't affect play, landed! Titanium everywhere. That is

an extreme grip on that forehand that Kanepi has. Should give her a

hard time with the lower bouncing It is kind of a lost art in the

world of tennis these days. Sabine has a very good lob. Kaia Kanepi,

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

Lisicki is one of the bigger ones in handle nerves, because they have

bigger serves. They get a lot of free points. Women have to and the

points a little bit more. It makes it more difficult to handle the

nerves that are there at the beginning of the match. It can make

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

on the forehand, but two slices in that point, including a drop shot.

Really picking the corners and JOHN INVERDALE: That game was

indicative of much of the match. It gave Lisicki and early break. She

consolidated on that all the way through. She took the opening set.

The second set was very much a repeat of the first. Here she is at

at Wimbledon. We saw that celebration against Serena Williams.

That smile again. Bucking the trend, because all the big giant

killers here all went out in the next stage. But here she is now

next stage. But here she is now having to cope with the expectation

and the pressure of being a serial winner. For me, it is a game that I

so much. I want to keep it that way. So I am going out there to win every

single match. We will see what happens. It is a joy to see the way

you are smiling and enjoying yourself. The crowd absolutely love

that. It is so great to have the crowd behind me. It's the best

support you can get. To see the fans and smile as well... It's nice.

Hopefully there will be more smiles and cheering. Well done today.

Is she a potential winner, with that serve? Yes. I'm in, for her to come

back from the biggest win of her life was quite remarkable, and you

have to wonder mentally and emotionally how for her tank was. We

know she complained her best tennis but she didn't need to because

Kanepi made quite a few errors. She has been so close as far as beating

top players for the last three or four years has one. Why not? She was

flying after beating Serena. She was talking to the world, so why don't

now how much sleep she got last night, but she came back down to

Earth to do the job today. Sikorski had never had a huge success like

that but this is not unusual for her to be playing these guys. She is a

quality player and it is a fairytale, to be honest. She has got

these leg problems. You've got a fresh Lisicki coming in. You know,

don't want to read too much into it. I'm not going to predict anything

any more but she is looking pretty good. I think Lisicki is learning

from the past two years. She had big wins and then went out the next

round. She has said in press conferences, I have learned from

minor stakes. Need to go the next day and just forget about the match.

-- I have learned from my mistakes. We are going to see the next

2/4-finals in a moment but not before we look at the next eight to

going to generate some real excitement tomorrow afternoon. --

about the catalogue of upsets in the minstrel, if you look at the top,

that is how it was planned to be things, you and I were talking about

this on the radio today, Pat, but Andy Murray has not played a single

left-hander in competitive action this whole year. It is

extraordinary! Wow! I didn't know that! I think Andy has played enough

left-handers and he's got a brother who happens to have a very nice

left-handed serve to practice against. Think once he gets settled,

it won't be too much of a problem. Which of those games would you

pick? I like Del Potro and Ferrer. I've think that will be fascinating.

The contrast, the styles, the size. I think the French Open took a lot

out of David Ferrer. But he never gives up and he is still winning.

Look, I think if they were even, I would say Del Potro has the power

and the Grand Slam under his belt. He should do better on a grass court

but there is a little question mark about that knee. He has struggled

with that. Djokovic - can you see Berdych stopping him? No.

struggled through that match with Bernard Tomic. And this young

Australian guy lays on all that funky stuff! And Kubot against

Janowicz. I love this line-up. Kubot is a very, very good all-rounder.

Very good doubles player. He serves and volleys and comes in. You know,

he can do everything. The big man himself, Janowicz, you know, what a

massive serve, forehand. And what a great opportunity for both of them.

They are playing each other and they know each other's game. This could

be a real battle. Poland is doing wonderfully with their players.

chance to be the first Polish man to get to a Grand Slam semi-final. So,

Chris, in case we don't have you between now and the weekend, who do

you think is going to be in the final of the men's on Sunday? I

won't say the women! I didn't say that! Wow! Who do I think? Djokovic

and Murray. By have to say that! They are the two best players in the

world right now. -- I have to. I've think they could go all the way.

Thank you for coming in. Thank you. And you are not Lindsay Davenport!

No hurt feelings! We're going to move on to move onto the draw in the

Women's Singles which have featured Starring Petra Kvitova, champion

here two years ago, a Czech lefty, and she has a powerful game but with

the big shots, falls in focus. Introducing Kirsten Flipkens, a

Belgian to follow Kim Clijsters and Justin Henning. It has been a

blockbuster run to her first Grand Slam quarter-final. Ten years after

name, won the first set. It was tight but she always had the edge.

-- Petra Kvitova. But then we had a medical timeout. Apparently Kvitova

had come into this match not feeling very well, so also soft tests and

medical paraphernalia going on. -- sorts of tests. So did that give

Flipkens extra incentive? She managed to get it all is where and

here we are in the deciding set at 4-4. Petra is serving and you kind

only her third but she looks exhausted to me. Two big runs there.

This is the time for Flipkens to make her move if she wants to carry

on being the Cinderella story of the little drop shot she was backing

responding so well to adversity. So easy for her to feel sorry for

herself. -- so nice for Petra conversation with the umpire

beforehand. -- a little conversation. Well in. Probably

plays into Kvitova's hands there, because taking her time, trying to

take on this serve of Kvitova. She has really stayed up to the

well. We have served a full time to react as the server when the

returning uses the pace on the the rally and outmanoeuvre Kvitova,

the point is hers the vast majority of the time. Now, can she do it

sure. She was hoping for a computer error there. Nothing wrong with

game from Flipkens. Such good feeling on that slice backhand.

Well, her idol has was been Steffi Graf. And I haven't seen many debtor

slice backhand and Steffi produced out on this court. -- any better.

She has done a good job at imitating Between them, they are flying on

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

from Petra Kvitova. It looks like she spent all night on the dance

floor. Those legs are very heavy at all here. She has shown great

character throughout the course of the match, feeling unwell. For much

of it, particularly here in the coming true for me to be in the

semifinals of a Grand Slam. It is ridiculous! I mean, last year I

didn't even get into the qualifying of Wimbledon. To be a semifinalist

in Wimbledon, it cannot be better. It is not ridiculous! It is real!

Yes, I still can't believe it. I've nothing to lose and are just went

for my shots. Petra was playing really well. I've just had to go for

it from the second set on. But I'm so, so happy, you cannot imagine.

Yes, and the reason we have ditched Chris Everett in favour of Lindsay

Davenport is because of statistics like this. Five unforced errors in a

long 3-set match in the biggest match of her career. It is

remarkable the performance you was able to put in against the former

champion on Centre Court. It is an amazing story, everything she has

come back from, and does she said, a dream come true. And on the biggest

occasion of all, she seized the moment. Yes, and it is so great to

see a player step up when the big occasion is there. She showed nerves

of steel. She said herself, she was so calm throughout the match. We

love to see players playing their biggest tennis on the biggest stage.

Petra was up all night with a virus. But you don't want to take too much

away from the winner. No, she played all right. It is not as if she could

not move at all, Kvitova. Flipkens has an unusual game. If your feet on

moving well and you're not feeling your best, those are the sorts of

players who can cause upsets. There you go, fairytale story. Lindsay

Davenport, specialist subject, tennis trivia. Who is the last women

to have won Wimbledon wearing glasses? Martina Navratilova in...

93? 1990!Yes, and those are prescription glasses. Lots of people

thought she was wearing out-of-court sunglasses. Another member of our

team, Tracy Austin, is on court at the moment just down there on Court

14. Serving for the win, Tracy!And on the cusp of victory as well! So a

hat-trick of victories for our team at Wimbledon. Now, instead of Maria

Sharapova, we have... Wimbledon quarter-finals, featuring

Marion Bartoli, a conundrum of a player. A combination of foibles and

flair. And introducing Sloane Stephens, the young starlet of the

tour. Rich in talent, starting to fulfil great potential. Slamdunk to

Serena at the Australian Open, she is in search of a second major semi

JOHN INVERDALE: Here we are in the first set. Stephens just two points

away from losing the first set and it started raining. It wasn't really

raining. It was kind of precipitation. Anyway, they stopped

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

from Bartoli. JOHN INVERDALE: Well, what a point

on set point. So hard for Stephens to come back from the rain break. In

the second set, it is 5-5 with Backed away from that return.

Sloane's coach wants her to be aggressive on those returns. If you

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

go up the middle and give yourself double handed. If you are really

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 117 seconds

match. Once again, Bartoli within two points of a place in the last

Bartoli. And a fine list of six years ago is through to the

obviously the grass is really switching my game but it was a very

tough battle today and I really felt by putting all myself in the last

set. I'll was returning extremely well but not returning well. And

then vice versa. So if can put everything together for the next

match, that will be great. But her very pleased to be in the semifinals

once again. JOHN INVERDALE: So, this is the

unexpected line-up for the Ladies' Singles semifinals in two days'

shortest semifinals. Never mind the duration but it is five foot five

versus 56! And she makes the most of all that she has? Yes. And she plays

an unorthodox style. She plays a very long and flat and she has the

two hands with the long reach, and she made trouble for Sloane Stephens

by taking the ball early. Sloane, with her serve at one point in the

second set, wasn't able to cut it on grass. Bartoli was able to take

advantage. You kind of feel everybody... In the woman's game,

everybody is your height! Six foot and upwards. So it is extraordinary

to have two people of such diminutive stature in the semifinals

of a Grand Slam. I suppose so! All sizes but they move well. As Lindsay

said, Bartoli covers the court very well. She comes up close to the

court and gets the ball back and Flipkens, we talked about, she is a

great all-round player. And they are very good with their hands, these

players. They make their opponents move. Pat did say on the radio at

lunchtime today that you fancied Flipkens as an outsider to win this.

I was only joking! No, I saw her play in Miami and I was really

impressed by the way she played and thought, yes, she could create a bit

of trouble here. I didn't think she would get past this match... I

shouldn't have confessed that, should I? ! Tomorrow is the men's

playing Berdych. And then the all Polish affair at the bottom.

Lindsay, I didn't have a chance to ask you earlier on, what is your

take on these games? I think we are out of the prediction business in

this tournament! But I would say Djokovic and Murray playing for the

tournament on Sunday. And I think Janowicz, he plays a huge game. If

he is serving well and hitting those big shots, it is tough to defend

against, even for somebody who plays and defends as well as Murray.

there a potential banana skin tomorrow with Murray? And Verdasco?

He is coming good. He has had a few years... Look, if we saw this straw

four, five years ago, you would go, ooh, it could go either way. And

Fernando hasn't done particularly well the last few years but he

hasn't been poor by any means. So all of a sudden, he is coming good.

He is a dangerous player. Boy, can he hit that forehand and backhand,

and he has a good serve. He was in great the other day against a tricky