No19 seed Dominika Cibulkova is in an interesting situation.
She is into the quarter-finals at the All England Club for the first time since 2011, riding a nine-match winning streak on grass, and if she beats Elena Vesnina Tuesday, she will have to postpone her wedding, which is scheduled for this Saturday – the same day as the Wimbledon final.
Cibulkova, who has been engaged to Miso Navara for four years, had not made it into the second week at Wimbledon on seven of her eight previous appearances but a hot run on grass has seen her capture the title in Eastbourne before marching into the quarter-finals at SW19.
In what was arguably the best tennis match of 2016, Cibulkova had to find her inner gladiator to overcome No3 seed and former finalist Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 5-7, 9-7 – a three-hour battle that ended with the Slovak lying face down on the ground in tears.
The 27-year-old described the match as the toughest, physically and mentally, of her career.
“I was really crying. It was so emotional because it was just ‑ I was physically, like I felt I cannot move anymore,” said Cibulkova, who saved a match point with a stunning forehand in the 12th game of the decider.
“I was still playing and playing and playing. After that point, it was in the last game I think I was on the net and I won the point, and I just couldn’t move anymore. And then you have to play. Then I got a warning and I had to serve second serve. I can’t describe how tough was it today.”
Cibulkova had not won a title on grass prior to last month’s triumph in Eastbourne and when she set the wedding date nine months ago, she never expected she’d be into the second week at Wimbledon and playing a match four days before the day of her nuptials.
“We chose this because I never saw myself as such a great grass court player,” she admits.
“Yeah, but winning Eastbourne and now, being in a quarter-finals I would change my mind. It’s no problem, we can postpone it.
“I’m still here and I’m playing my match tomorrow. So I have to get really good rest today.
“If I would win tomorrow, then we will change it. Then we will postpone it, yeah, because it will be a lot of rush.”
"I was really crying, it was emotional"
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2016
What it means to reach the #Wimbledon quarter-final, featuring@Cibulkovahttps://t.co/FonJyFtYOn
Any tennis players still at Wimbledon have made the guest list for the wedding?
“Marion Bartoli. We are very good friends. But she is commentating the finals, so if she would commentate me, I wouldn’t mind, because next week she can come,” laughed Cibulkova.
“I also invited Barbora Strycova. She’s playing doubles today.”
On her part, Radwanska was visibly disappointed following her defeat, finding no solace in the fact that it was a high-quality match.
“I think for me, it doesn’t really matter right now,” said Radwanska. “Of course, it’s always better to play great match than the cra*** one. Anyway, the result is the same. I’m here as a loser, so what can I do?”
Vesnina made the first grand slam singles quarter-final of her career beating her doubles partner Ekaterina Makarova 5-7, 6-1, 9-7.
The Russian pair were due on court later in the day for their doubles second round against Annika Beck and Yanina Wickmayer.
