Jankovic ecstatic to reach Wimbledon fourth for first time since 2010

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  • Jelena Jankovic will take on Agnieszka Radwanska in the last-16.

    Jelena Jankovic can’t stop smiling and with good reason.

    One minute she is down a set and a break to defending champion Petra Kvitova and just two games away from exiting the tournament and the next she is in the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time since 2010 having completed a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 over the world No2.

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    The Serbian ex-world No1 handed Kvitova her earliest defeat at Wimbledon in six years to set up a last 16 clash with former runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska.

    “I cannot stop smiling. I'm really, really happy. I don't know how to explain. It's a really big win for me, especially playing on Centre Court against a two-time champion, Wimbledon champion. It's really amazing,” said the 30-year-old Jankovic.

    “I was just happy to be playing and competing on grass. Grass is not my favourite surface. And Petra plays so well on it.

    “I'm glad I was able to stay strong and positive. I was down a set and a break in the second. I was able to just stay calm. I just played one point at a time and held my ground and won that second set. After that I knew I could do it. I was fighting. I was very brave at the end. And here I am. Unbelievable.”

    For a set and a half, Kvitova was undisputedly the better player. The Czech had dropped just three games in her first two matches and when she went up 6-3, 4-2 over Jankovic, no one would have bet against her.

    But Jankovic suddenly found her rhythm and started fighting back. Kvitova had no answers on the court and didn’t have much in press afterwards.

    “Tough to explain. If I know what happened, I going to tell you,” said a bewildered Kvitova.

    “But really I'm not really sure what happened out there. I was kind of up in the second set. Suddenly I felt like she's coming back, playing a little bit aggressive.

    “Suddenly from my side, I didn't have answer for it. My serve didn't help me at all this time, as well.  I was really struggling with each shot which I played.”

    After Jankovic drew level to force a decider, the pair were neck and neck moving forward.

    With Jankovic serving at 4-4, 15-30, Kvitova was in a winning position in a rally but decided to stop midway and challenge. 

    Hawk-Eye showed that Jankovic’s ball had touched the outside of the line and Kvitova lost the point and the game to put herself in the tough position to serve to stay in the match.

    The Czech crumbled under the pressure as she lost on her first match point, netting a forehand to crash out of the tournament. Jankovic fell to the ground in disbelief, knowing she pulled off a remarkable upset. Kvitova admits losing after playing so well is a tough pill to swallow.

    The 25-year-old said: “This is tougher for sure, in kind of this tournament that is special for me. It's not easy to go away. I think it's going to take me few days, few weeks maybe. But that's how it is. It's tennis. I'm still human. I'm not a robot. But I wishing better result for sure.”

    Elsewhere, Danish fifth seed Wozniacki reached the last 16 for the fourth time with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over Italy's Camila Giorgi.

    The former world number one will face Spain's Garbine Muguruza after the 20th seed shocked 2012 semi-finalist Angelique Kerber 7-6 (14/12), 1-6, 6-2.

    Romania's Monica Niculescu also made the last 16 for the first time, beating Czech world number 134 Kristyna Pliskova 6-3, 7-5. She will face Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky who put out 2013 runner-up Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 6-2 to book a spot in the last 16.

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