Kvitova reaches semis

Kvitova, ranked 62, will now need every one of her fighting qualities to stave off her next opponent - titleholder and world number one Serena Williams.

Exhausted by her titanic effort, Kvitova was almost lost for words. Looking dazed, she said: "I can't believe it."

"This is something incredible. I am very happy," she said. "Of course it is nice for every people in the Czech Republic."

The match was certainly not of the highest quality but full marks for sheer stamina and determination should go to Kvitova, who had also knocked out number three seed Caroline Wozniacki and 14th seed Victoria Azarenka.

The first set was a baseline slugfest played to tepid applause on a half empty Court One. The toppling of five times champion Venus Williams proved a hard act to follow on the sun-baked arena.

Kanepi's attacking tennis finally paid dividends in the ninth game when Kvitova tamely surrendered her serve on a double fault to help the Estonian to the opening set.

Both stayed firmly glued to the baseline in a second set of solid but unspectacular tennis.

In the tighest of tiebreaks, Kanepi had three match points that she could not convert. One was thrown away on a double fault before Kvitova finally landed the spoils 10-8 to level the match.

In the decider, Kanepi raced to a 4-0 lead but Kvitova just refused to be denied, fighting her way back to 5-5 when all looked lost.

The Czech, sensing Kanepi's nervy inability to close out the match, survived two more match points at 6-5, broke Kanepi and then served out for a victory fully deserved for her sheer resilience.

Now she faces the toughest assignment of her career - trying to topple Williams at the world's most famous tournament.

"She is something special in tennis. I will try," Kvitova promised.

For her part Kanepi, who was bidding to be only the third qualifier to reach a women's grand slam semi-final, accepted that the nerves had got the better of her.

"I think I could have handled it better," the world number 80 said. "She kept in there, she kept fighting."