Day 8 Highlights Today at Wimbledon

The first rule of the club is to not talk about the club but rules are

made to be broken. Venus Williams is the oldest player left in the

women's draw. Her opponent, Shvedova, is the lowest ranked

player still standing. Dominika Cibulkova arranged her wedding for

this Saturday. If she keeps winning, she will be lucky for a different

region. -- reason. This is her first quarterfinal in singles. Aiming for

her second semifinal, Simona Halep of Romania is the youngest of the

quarterfinalists, 24. Angelique Kerber of Germany, the reigning

Aussie Open player, has not trot a set on the way. The only player to

have done this. This is Anastasia Pavlychenkova's first Grand Slam

quarterfinal in five years. 22 is still the magic number for the

defending champion Serena Williams as she takes aim at Steffi Graf's

open era Grand Slam titles record. Those are the numbers, now, time for

the tennis. Welcome to the most gorgeous evening at Wimbledon, the

first really nice one we have had. We have views across number one

court and centre and although it across to the shard and the city and

Canary Wharf in the distance. I am in the company of two women who know

exactly... Stop waving at people! This one! Two women who know what it

is like to get to the latter stages, Lindsay Davenport and Martina

Navratilova. You have both been playing. You are the priority. They

are both in really good moods because they have both won. The

average age of the quarterfinalists today is 28.8, the oldest being

Venus Williams. You guys must be wishing you hadn't

retired! I retired many years too late! Not just the winning, but the

men as well. The closest match on paper was Simona Halep against

Angelique Kerber. The fourth seed against the fifth seed. And so it

proved. Romanian Simona Halep was French Open runner-up in 2014. She

also reached the semifinals at Wimbledon that year. The number five

seed saw off Madison Keys yesterday and was hoping to once again make

the last four. The number four seed from Germany, Angelique Kerber, in

January, she claimed her first ever grand slam title at the Australian

Open in Melbourne. She has the perfect record so far this

fortnight, eight sets won, none lost. They have met four times

before, Halep winning three of those but Kerber took the latest and both

of them have reached semifinals here before. It was a really good

standard of tennis. The rallies were outstanding. The

crowd really got into this on Centre Court.

That is just to give you a flavour of how good it was in the early

stages. Both started with a very high level. We will join it at Halep

serving. COMMENTATOR: the great defence of

Kerber gets her out of trouble. One of the few backhand on. Errors

we have seen from Halep. Ducksch unforced errors.

That was just a little too out. They have managed some angles in this

match so far. Halep purposefully taking all the pace on those

backhands, trying to get them short. Kerber controlling this point with

her forehand. She finishes the point well inside the baseline.

Just wide from Halep. Kerber again doing damage, the slice she is able

to generate... What a contrast, the one ground strokes that hit the

baseline and then the next one, a drop shot so close to the net, so

much court for Halep to have to cover and she wasn't able to do it

there. Set point. A sad way for the set to end. Kerber

is the only one of the eight an quarterfinal date who has not

dropped a set so far and she made ten her perfect record. That handed

Kerber the first set 7-5. Lindsay Davenport was co-commentating, some

wonderful moments? Yes, two two of the best athletes, movers, and

neither one can win points very often with their power but their

movement around the court, it was remarkable. Both of them making ball

after ball so graceful. It was fun to watch and commentator on. This

was a 22 shot rally. Kerber with the squat shot winner.

The first four games of the second set went with serve and then breaks

were exchanged and we join it with Halep serving 3-4.

Just wide from Halep. She gets that challenge in frustration but these

recovery shots from Kerber... Kerber's tenacity could be taking

her towards what could be a key break of serve.

She should let her get away there with the second serve. Kerber made

contact with the week second serve behind the baseline and wasn't

willing to step up and take that return early. Halep will be

breathing a sigh of relief right now.

Both layers covering every blade of grass, so fast, so determined. --

both players. It is a great lesson to young players, this. Just never

give up on these wide balls. Keep believing.

Kerber ahead again. This time, it is for a 5-3 lead and this time it

means she is serving for the match. That was a perfect served by Kerber,

she set herself up for the easy forehand.

What a recovery after the first point, so much court covered. Hasn't

hit many volleys in this match and then hit an absolute perfect one.

Again, Halep on the stretch, in a defensive position, going for the

hard recovery shot and again, it is working for her. She to keep

believing. -- she has to keep believing.

CLARE BALDING: so, was the fightback on? Halep breaking serve when she

had to. This was like a game of chess, fantastic ball placement,

very good retrieving as well. Fans were desperate for it to go to a

third set. Halep hung on in there and took it

to a tie-break. But she just went off the boil a bit and we join it

with Halep serving, 1-5 down in that second set tie-break.

JONATHAN OVEREND: two service points to come for the German.

Oh! Goodness me! On potentially deep and ultimate point of the match, to

get such a net court as that. -- penultimate. Sometimes life is not

fair. But Kerber has played magnificently today, she has got

four match points. It was a tough match against Simona

Halep. We are both playing really good tennis. I am really happy with

my performance. I was playing really tough and moving good and being

aggressive and this was actually not so bad today. Angelique Kerber still

has not dropped a set at these Championships and she looks to be

growing in confidence and so different to the way she played at

the French. Straight after winning the Australian. Back here and we are

looking at a grand slam winner. I think the pressure got to her. The

expectation after winning a grand slam is so great. Now she has

learned how to deal with it. An interesting matchup between the two.

They were not reactive players but Kerber took charge of the points and

was looking to do something and was inside the court more and a lot

closer to the baseline than Halep and she took more chances and it

paid off. I have said before on paper, evenly matched in their

rankings but the way they play, I love the movement around the court,

it was really exciting. So much of tennis is decided by power and we

see that with Serena and Venus. But these two are more thinkers on the

court and they rely on their speed and they move their shots around.

Kerber does a great job changing direction. Martina is right, she was

the player more willing take chances today. She was also way more

mentally tough. The score is close but on those big occasions, at the

end of the first and second, Kerber was able to rise to the challenge.

Kerber was playing to win whereas Halep was just hoping Kerber would

lose and that was not going to happen. She was very focused. She

was inside the baseline. Halep as a result ran about 10% more than

Kerber because she was having to cover much wider parts of the court.

You have issues with Halep Botha second serve in particular? She

should have a better technique and she doesn't use her hand. Nice

movement on the ground strokes but doesn't use her hand and asked,

could use some work. What happened in the second set tie-break to

Halep? She had some momentum going into the tie-break and Kerber was

disappointed no doubt. Then Halep went away, two easy returns. She

made errors, was sloppy, and then match point. Just a routine backhand

miss. That tie-break is when you want to play your best tennis and

she went from competing mentally, it looks like. Kerber will get a lot of

attention. She wants to be the first German Wimbledon champion since

Steffi Graf. Can she handle this? Her game is good enough. Mentally,

definitely. That hurdle has been cleared. Now, can she play that well

on the grass against the Williams sisters may be or whoever she will

play? She needs to play like she did today and good things can happen. I

have some concerns with the second serve. If she plays a more

aggressive player, it is predictable. Halep did not take

advantage today. It has to work out for Kerber as well because if a

player starts to put pressure on that, the weaker shot of Kerber's

game, I would love to see how she does that.

In Thursday's semifinal, on Court One, look at Venus Williams who

first played here in 1997 and she back inside the top ten. Paddy

Gearey takes a look at the enduring power of planet Venus.

Venus, the star that would not fade, the girl who came to Wimbledon first

as a teenager, then as a champion. Then other phenomenon. The girl who

keeps coming back. Been here around the block. 20 times! I have so much

more experience but just an opportunity to play in 97 and have

that first time, it is something you cannot repeat. In her first

quarterfinal, the six years, she met Yaroslava Shvedova. She is a talent

camouflaged by a world ranking of 96. The only woman to play a golden

set at Wimbledon, winning every point. Against Venus, she settled

for just winning a point. I don't think anyone feels older. You have

this affinity inside you that feels like you can go forever. As long as

I am halfway decent, I think I can make something happen. CLARE

BALDING: the enjoyment she still has in the game is evident. She had set

point on her opponent's serve and then she held serve. The first set

went to a tie-break which is where we should will join the commentary

from Sam Smith and Tracy Austin. Williams targeting that more

Ritalin, forehand side. -- brittle, forehand side.

I did wonder if Venus is feeling a little tired. She has played a lot

of tennis. In the last eight days, some long matches, some filled with

rain delays. Doubles as well. That was a change-up. Venus isn't

playing the kids, these last eight days. Players usually about half her

age and I think she is quite glad to see Shvedova down the other end at

28, someone within a decade! She has great longevity, Williams, no signs

of stopping as yet. Backhand slice, always effective on

the approach but except 20 -- accentuated on this surface, it

stays down low. Points are starting to heat up now

and that was such a makeable volley, particularly for someone like Venus.

If you are Venus, you have to realise you have been in this

situation so much more frequently. It is her 35th Ram Slam

quarterfinal. -- Grand Slam. Two serves to come for Shvedova,

just up the mini-break. Trying to bounce around now, keep

those feet moving. Well, she is making everyone nervous

out here. Four points in a row for Venus, 52, just played a solid four

points. Set point ever while Williams, this

time on her own serve. -- set point for Williams. It is long! Never,

ever write off Venus Williams, she takes the opening set on the

breaker. CLARE BALDING: The nurse made a fast start, breaking the

Shvedova the serve in the opening game. -- Venus. She was in front

with a combination of power and accuracy. She was surprised there!

And pretty soon the -- Venus was serving for the match. Watch are

walking to the umpire, just like a little girl, like a schoolgirl! --

watch her. How would you describe your road to getting back here?

Yeah, the road was six years! They go by fast, thankfully. But I have

been blessed, really blessed, to have the opportunity here, to have

had an opportunity in the past to do this. And I don't have any regrets

about anything that has taken place in between, it has been a journey,

but it is something that I have had to do, and it has made me stronger.

Her best round since she reached the final in 2009, healthy again,

Lindsay, and happy. So happy, she has given some of the best press

conferences, yesterday she said no-one picks you to win your first

or your last, and you have to believe in yourself. I had never

really heard in that context, but press and sometimes we are so quick

to write her off, but she is loving playing right now, it is a privilege

and a pleasure to watch her now. You see her smile, you say her laugh,

just being on the court, she is so thrilled to be at there. Dealing

with Sjogren's syndrome and immunodeficiency, she never knows

how much energy she will have, and it gets so much more difficult when

you get older, to manage your nerves, because things mean more, so

you get more nervous. So to manage their energy anyway, on top of that,

with the disorder she has, just remarkable that she has been able to

stick with it, didn't quit, clearly appreciates it, loves being out

here. She would never have thought she would be playing now, and here

she is with a chance to win the whole thing. TUC said in parallels

with her? Not just in terms of playing into their late 30s, but

also the crowd are now with? -- do you see certain parallels?

Absolutely, I felt like that most of my career, but when I started losing

and I was older, the crowd was on my side, and that is what is happening

with Venus Williams as well, and it is easier to enjoy things when

people want you to do well, rather than always being the visiting team,

always cheering for the other player. So she is appreciating, you

know, she is just a joy to watch, I am so happy for her. You were 37

when he lost the final in 1994, how much does Kyle and experience

override, you know, flexibility and whatever else it is that might go?!

Age and treachery overcome youth and experience every time! You know,

your time is running out, Venus may still be here how many years, but

you do not have many opportunities, who knows how much longer the body

will be willing? She is appreciating, the pressure grows,

you get much more nervous. Everybody gets nervous at there, you think you

are the only one, and then you realise the other business just as

nervous, if not more. And do you have to work that bit harder in

terms of stretching properly before a match, giving yourself recovery

time? Everything slows down when you get older, your legs, your mind, and

it takes longer to get ready! You just kind of you know, deal with it,

you know that is the deal, and of course Venus, on top of that, has to

manage Sjogren's syndrome. You just lower the expectations and

appreciated that much more when things happen. She was really

flowing, Shvedova gave her chances, but Venus took them, and she goes

through to the semifinals. They younger sister, six times a

champion, Serena Williams through to the quarterfinals for the 12th time

this century, up against a former junior world number one from Russia,

playing in her first Wimbledon quarterfinal.

Serena Williams, poised, powerful, but sometimes petulant. A straight

sets win in the first round, but in round two there wasn't much serene

in Serena. Williams has been throwing a little temper tantrum

there! A crushing display of power tennis in the third round helped it

to another straight sets win, but yesterday we had glimpses of

frustrated Serena, angry at the rain delays, she let her feelings be

known. And perhaps she gave a glimpse into what goes on in her

mind. The passion and intensity that I have is what makes me Serena, and

I cannot change, nor would I ever want to be different. Which Serena

will we see in the quarterfinals? Fragile Orpheus? -- fragile or

fearsome? We join the game and 4-4, with Pavlyuchenkova about to serve,

Simon Reed and John McEnroe in the commentary box.

Williams is going to ramp up the pressure, that return just set up

that easy winner. Don't want to be heading to many 77 mph serves. Yeah,

guess what, things are tight and upright here for Pavlyuchenkova. To

me, I would try to hit a couple of serves like that, make sure the

first one comes in now. Easier said than done!

Had to go for it. Didn't have to go for that, feeling stressed, feeling

real pressure for the first time, the score at 0-30. Maybe she doesn't

understand the geometry of the court, found herself with less time

than she wanted, and she is in trouble now at 0-40. First break

points. Game, Is Williams. 5-4. CLARE

BALDING: Serena knows when to step up a gear, and she took the first

set 6-4. Second set went with serve early on, some fantastic exchangers,

but Serena all the time looking like she was just moving up, saying, I

have got you. You could sense the intensity, the

power as well, very tight, 4-4, let's rejoined the action with

Pavlyuchenkova to serve. -- let's rejoin.

So quiet there, the last point, I think you could hear

Pavlyuchenkova's heart beating. Trying to hang in here somehow,

extend this. I think that is just officially

doubled. She is facing break point for the second time.

Sure enough, lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place.

Rug up oh, she got it. A lightning shot. Well, it was also a lightning

strike by Serena Williams, that forehand, that a volley went wide,

and that is why she is jumping for joy, 30-0.

Listen to that. The biggest calm on she has given, and that was quite

restrained. -- come on. Two match points for the world's best.

That skidded off the turf, no real way to get that back. A couple of

worn patches back there didn't help the American.

And why not? Finish like that. 123 mph, and other super performance. --

another. It seems as if she is getting better and better.

Congratulations, your reactions of winning through to another

semifinal. It is good, I am excited to be able to win that one, to get

through, and it felt really good. As you were starting, your sister was

just finishing, how long before you knew she had won? I knew she was up

5-15- two, and they always show the school, so it was like, yay! -- 5-1,

5-2. I knew I had a really tough opponents today, and as well as my

semifinal match, one thing I have learned this year is to just focus

on the match. CLARE BALDING: Interesting to hear Serena talking

about what you has learned, she was a super efficient today, Lindsey.

Angie has been since that second-round match, she has had to

play three days in a row. -- and she has been. She has cleaned up her

game, she looks more concentrated, more focused. It is an interesting

quote, I learned this year, something she does much better now

is learn from the losses. Ten years ago, 12 years ago, she would lose,

for get it, go to the next tournament and not think about it.

Now I think she really takes the time, what do I need to get better

at? She is on a mission to break this Grand Slam record, and that is

the bad news for the rest of the field! She really wants it. Martina,

when she is on song, she is sensational. So really never faced a

break point, which really enables her to go for her return of serve

and play more freely and her opponent is feeling the pressure.

Pavlyuchenkova was not able to hold her serve, both sets ended up losing

her serve and 4-4, because they are feeling the pressure. There are not

that many safe places to hit in the court. Serena sticks the racket out,

the point was never over. The great returners have not always mastered

the serving part of the game, Serena does both so well, she puts pressure

on her opponents when they are serving, and they do not think they

can break serve, maybe once, if they are lucky. She has mastered the two

biggest shot in tennis, your serve and your return, and nobody else can

do that in women's ten is right now. She finished with an as, -- an ace.

It is such a nice rotation, it starts with the legs, the hips, then

the shoulder, then the last thing is the arms and the rest, she snaps the

wrist at the top to accelerate even more. The last ace was 123 mph, most

men would be proud of that. It is amazing. Down the middle is probably

126, she has hit some hard ones before, but she can do it

consistently. I have yet to see her ahead the ball as hard as she

possibly can. Some people complicate the service motion, they moved too

much, or they hit it straight on, turn your shoulders, use your legs,

toss it up and hit. The other thing she does so well is because, always

in the same spot, very hard to read where she will go with the serve.

You can not guess what she is going to do, you try to play percentages,

but she mixes it up. Even now, she is walking up to the other side of

the court in the first game, she has changed that. One of the predictable

things is that when the Williams sisters are both well, they want to

play doubles together, they have won the title five times, and they were

out with a pair I will let you name! The two Czech girls who have won

Grand Slams together, they are not even seeded, because they have not

played enough doubles, they are going for the Olympics, the title

here, they are hard to beat on grass. The player who has scrambled

the most is Dominika Cibulkova. Yesterday, in a match against

Radwanska, she ran and covered 3000 metres, about 1.8 miles, more than

any of the straight sets matches for the men, certainly more than any of

the other women as well. Today she was up against a first-time

quarterfinalist, who are also won her last match 9-7. Paddy Gearey

brings us the story. Elena Vesnina is used to success,

but only sharing it. In women's doubles, she has won two slams. In

the latter stages of Wimbledon, it is familiar territory with someone

at her side. But in the last round she found her regular partner,

Ekaterina Makarova, the other side of the net, and Vesnina came into

home. Now she is in the singles quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for

the first time against Dominika Cibulkova, who thought her chances

so unlikely she organised her wedding for the day the final. It

seems there would be calls to make when she battled through an assault

course against Radwanska, but Cibulkova had covered nearly three

kilometres over three gruelling sets. The pocket rocket is through

to the Wimbledon quarterfinals! How much did she have the inner legs?

Vesnina had also covered some ground, following the singles match

yesterday with a doubles contest, yet see seemed fresh, intention

clear from the start. -- she seemed fresh. Vesnina was the outsider, the

woman with no seeding but seemingly also no nerves. Oh, that is

terrific. Dominika Cibulkova could not win a point in a raffle. What a

wonderful first set. The change of set brought no change

of fortunes, Vesnina, world another 50, was making a nonsense of the

rankings. Ringing out the hope from the Slovakian. You never get a

walkover with Cibulkova, she tried to reignite the spark, but Vesnina

smothered the blame. She has got it, they are the kind of shots that are

new places in the last four of a Grand Slam. -- that earn you. She

will remember this for the rest of her life. It feels amazing, I still

cannot believe that I won this match, I am really impressed with

the way I play today, I hope the same level for the whole game. So

Cibulkova's wedding goes on, and so does Vesnina's unlikely Wimbledon

engagement. Very good line, that! Vesnina is the

surprise package, isn't she? Ranked 100 and something? 122 in January.

She may get to the top 50, she is gunning for the finals in Singapore.

Amazing effort on her part, three Grand Slam wins in doubles, but came

out of nowhere. This was unfortunate for Dominika Cibulkova, you depend

on your legs and you have no legs left, that is a problem. But you

have to say how well Vesnina played in the biggest match of her career.

It seems Cibulkova was a bit empty, yesterday wiped it out, and she

needs the spark, the mental energy. She was flat physically, she was

flat emotionally, but Vesnina, she also played 9-7 in the third

yesterday, and then she had to play doubles until 9:15, so a heck of an

effort to be ready for the biggest match of her career today. Let's

look at the semifinal draw. Serena Williams coming through at the top,

OK, that is expected. What are you thinking? I am going to

go out on a limb and say the Williams sisters will get to the

finals! Serena we expected, but we picked Djokovic too, but this is

tennis, Vesnina could play the match of alive, maybe Serena has eight

weeks going on. If all things are normal, Serena Williams gets

through. -- could play the match of her life, maybe Serena has a tweak.

Angelique Kerber was a beast is today, she found the mix of offence

and defence, and if she serves better, that will be the big thing.

These are the respective serves of the four finalists.

Look at how low Kerber is. It is going to go to bean is's backhand,

she returns just fine there. -- Venus. Let's quickly catch up with

the British doubles action that was at there today.

World number one Jamie Murray and partner Bruno Soares

finished off their marathon third-round match

against Mate Pavic and Michael Venus.

This match was halted at 13-13 in the fifth set late last night.

Third seeds Murray and Soares came back today and wrapped up victory,

16-14 in the decider, after just over five hours on court.

And a real upset in the mixed doubles, where British wild cards

Neal Skupski and Anna Smith came back from 5-2 down in the deciding

set to beat the number one seeds, Ivan Dodig and Sania Mirza,

There was one last men's match hanging over from last night.

Thomas Berdych, runner-up here to Rafa Nadal in 2010,

was locked in a late-night tie-break with Jiri Vesely which Berdych lost.

They came off court at 9:23, Vesely having saved five match points.

They resumed today at the start of a deciding fifth set.

Tomas Berdych didn't waste much time.

Vesely served more than a set's worth of aces, 26,

and won through to a fourth quarterfinal here at Wimbledon.

I was in a very good position to finish the match already yesterday,

it didn't happen, we had to stop because of the darkness. Coming up

again today, overall, it was all about, I would say, my experience, I

have been in those situations in the past, and I know how to deal with

that, so I was really trying to get this, you know, what happened

yesterday out of my mind, just stay calm, focused, get ready for the

shoot out of the last set today. Let's have a look at the men's

quarterfinals tomorrow. Your thoughts on those. Roger

Federer comes into the tournament not knowing if he has enough match

play, playing more by memory than recent experience, as he has been

injured and has not been able to play. And now he is fresh, he is

playing great. Marin Cilic, another big opponent, so the last time they

played in a big match, Cilic beat him at the US Open. And Andy Murray,

he has got to be the favourite to win the whole thing, he is looking

fantastic. Normally she is managing expectations! We are talking about

possibly a Williams final, it is looking like it'll a Federer-Murray

final. There are still a lot of matches to be played, but how Murray

has played his matches this entire tournament has been very impressive.

It seems like Ivan Lendl has really added the spark that was missing.

The Lendl effect, have a look at that hashtag on social media. The

shot of the day goes to the story of the day, Venus Williams proving that

age is no barrier. Do we have the right shot this

time?! She has still got it! Terrific

movement from Venus. And a reminder of tomorrow's

coverage. I would recommend a documentary that

went out last night, Just Call Me Martina, it is an iPlayer for

another week, it is about you. What else would you call me?! I was very

happy with it, and apparently so were most people that watched it, I

got a lot of new fans on Twitter, it turned out just fine, the family is

happy with it as well. I am liking your prediction of a Federer-Murray

final. I think a lot of people around here would like that! Nice

problem. It would be a nice problem to have. The other thing about today

was no threat of rain, gorgeous pink clouds, it has been a good day.

Excellent. Really fun. And you won! What are you through do now? It is a

round-robin, I will play Lindsey in the finals, a lot of tennis to play

yet! I am looking forward to the women's matches. Men's quarterfinals

tomorrow, and we will have full coverage, don't forget the radio and

online team as well. But coming from different sides of the draw, it is

helping the Williams sisters. They may end up as rivals on Saturday

afternoon, but they are always sisters and always doing it for

themselves. Once upon a time,

a little girl clambered up a ladder That little girl

would grow up to write some of the best-loved children's

books in the English language. I'll be investigating how a covert

operation between Britain's MI6 and America's CIA sought to bring about

regime change in the early Cold War.