Zahlavova Strycova leads Czech treble at Wimbledon

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova claimed another famous scalp at Wimbledon as the unseeded Czech moved into the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 7-5 victory against former world number one Caroline Wozniacki today.

Zahlavova Strycova, the world number 43, had enjoyed the best win of her career in the previous round when she defeated Chinese second seed Li Na and she added Danish 16th seed Wozniacki to her list of upsets, converting a sixth match point to move into the last eight at a Grand Slam for the first time at the 32nd attempt.

The 28-year-old, who served a six-month ban for doping last year, will play compatriot Petra Kvitova for a place in the semi-finals.

Asked about her revival after the drugs suspension, Zahlavova Strycova admitted she almost quit after testing positive for banned stimulant sibutramine at the 2012 Luxembourg Open.

"I didn't want to play again because I felt like it's a little bit unfair," she said.

"In the first two months, I didn't want to come back. It was tough, but on the other hand, it also brings me some positive things. I am seeing the sport a little bit different now. And here I am."

Sixth seed Kvitova, who won the Wimbledon title in 2011, routed world number 61 Peng Shuai of China 6-3, 6-2 in just one hour on Court Two.

The 24-year-old has now reached the last eight at Wimbledon for five successive years.

Three of the four quarter-finalists in the bottom half of the draw are Czech after 23rd seed Lucie Safarova ended the fairytale run of teenager Tereza Smitkova, the lowest ranked woman left in the tournament, with a 6-0, 6-2 victory.

World number 175 Smitkova was attempting to become only the seventh qualifier to reach the quarter-finals, but the 19-year-old was thrashed by in just 47 minutes.

Safarova can look forward to her first Wimbledon quarter-final appearance, which will also be the 27-year-old's first last-eight clash at a Grand Slam since 2007.

Her opponent will be either Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, beaten by Serena Williams in the 2012 Wimbledon final, or Russian 22nd seed Ekaterina Makarova.

Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard booked her first appearance in the Wimbledon quarter-finals as the 13th seed defeated Alize Cornet 7-6 (7/5), 7-5.

The 20-year-old underlined her growing reputation by seeing off French 25th seed Cornet, who had caused one of the great Wimbledon upsets in the previous round when she defeated world number one Serena Williams.

After reaching the semi-finals at the Australian and French Opens already this year, Bouchard, a junior Wimbledon winner in 2012, will aim to make it three in a row at the majors when she faces either world number five Maria Sharapova or German ninth seed Angelique Kerber in the last eight.

"It's great to be in the quarters at Wimbledon, that's what I work so hard for," Bouchard said. "But I want to go one step further so I have to keep focused."

Sabine Lisicki, last year's Wimbledon beaten finalist, finally downed former world number one Ana Ivanovic on Monday to give herself a place in the last 16.

In a third round match called off for bad light on Saturday, and then interrupted by rain early on Monday, the German 19th seed eventually beat the Serbian 11th seed 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 on Court One.

She faces Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova on Tuesday for a place in the quarter-finals.
"I always have a first here at Wimbledon so it was quite fitting to have the match suspended due to darkness, not play on the Sunday, come back, play, rain and then finish it. Finally we did it," Lisicki said.

Shvedova, the world number 65, was leading 7-6 (9/7), 6-6 when American teenager Madison Keys pull out prior to the scheduled restart of their third round tie due to a left thigh injury.