Wimbledon 2018: Angelique Kerber and Jelena Ostapenko set up heavyweight semi-final

Kerber held off Daria Kasatkina’s spirited challenge while Ostapenko had too much firepower for Dominika Cibulkova

The women’s singles may have seen a succession of upsets by lower ranked players, but one of Thursday’s semi-finals will bring together two former Grand Slam champions. Angelique Kerber, who won the Australian and US Opens and reached the final here in her annus mirabilis in 2016, will take on Jelena Ostapenko, last year’s French Open champion, after the German and the Latvian won their quarter-finals in straight sets here on Tuesday.

Kerber held off Daria Kasatkina’s spirited challenge, beating the 21-year-old Russian 6-3, 7-5 on Centre Court, while Ostapenko had too much firepower for Dominika Cibulkova on Court One and beat the Slovakian 7-5, 6-4.

Having struggled throughout 2017, Kerber has recaptured her form of two years ago since recruiting Wim Fissette as her coach after the Belgian parted company with Johanna Konta at the end of last year. Kerber has reached the quarter-finals or better in 10 of the 12 tournaments she has played this year.

However, the 30-year-old German was made to work for her victory by Kasatkina, who was playing in the quarter-finals here for the first time. The world No 14 has emerged as one of the game’s most exciting talents and delighted the crowd with some of her spectacular play.

Ultimately it was a victory for German efficiency over Russian flair. Kerber’s game is based on her great athleticism and ability to make her opponent keep hitting the extra shot, though in the latter stages the former world No 1 proved that she is also capable of going for her shots.

In Kasatkina, nevertheless, Centre Court discovered a player who is set to become a crowd favourite for years to come. The Russian is a superb shot-maker who hits the ball beautifully on both flanks and finds some exquisite angles. She also played some stunning drop shots, often on the biggest points, but paid the price for some careless errors.

The end-of-match statistics told their own story. Kasatkina hit 33 winners to Kerber’s 16 and made 31 unforced errors to the German’s 14.

This was the seventh meeting between the two women in the last two years – they went into the match with three wins apiece – and was just as tightly contested as their quarter-final in Eastbourne last month, which Kerber won in a final set tie-break.

Kasatkina had three break points in the opening game, failed to take any of them, and was soon 3-0 down. The Russian retrieved the break to trail 4-3, only to drop serve again in the following game. Kerber promptly served out for the first set as Kasatkina hit a loose backhand beyond the baseline on the German’s second set point.

Kerber again drew first blood in the second set, breaking serve in the third game thanks to another erratic backhand by Kasatkina, but once again the momentum swung back and forth. Kasatkina broke back for 3-3, only to drop her own serve once again in the next game.

Germany's Kerber is through (AFP/Getty Images)

By now both players were playing tennis of the highest order. Kasatkina was going for her shots at every opportunity, while Kerber was striking the ball with relentless consistency. By the time Kerber broke to lead 6-5 there had been six successive breaks of serve.

The drama reached a climax when Kerber served for the match. Kasatkina saved six match points, three of them with drop shots and another with a brilliant forehand cross-court winner. On the seventh, however, Kerber hit a big forehand into a corner which Kasatkina was unable to return.

“I was expecting a really tough and close match against Daria,” Kerber said afterwards. “We’ve played so many tough battles in the past. Today I was just trying to play it point by point. I think we both played at a really high level especially at the end. I was just trying to stay focused on my serve.”

Having beaten one 21-year-old, Kerber will now take on another in Ostapenko, who is one month younger than Kasatkina. Like the Russian, Ostapenko loves to go for her shots. Although she cannot match the variety of Kasatkina’s game, the Latvian generally strikes the ball with more power.

Ostapenko, who has won all five of her matches so far in straight sets, was the only one of last year’s quarter-finalists to make it through to the same stage 12 months later.

Ostapenko is into the final four (AFP/Getty Images)

Cibulkova, the world No 33, would have been seeded here but for Wimbledon’s decision to seed Serena Williams despite the American’s lowly world ranking. The former Australian Open runner-up has seemed determined to make a point, but after beating Johanna Konta and Elise Mertens was unable to claim a third scalp.

The Slovakian saved five break points in the opening game, lost the sixth, but broke back immediately. Both players broke serve again before the first set settled into a more predictable pattern, but everything changed when Cibulkova served at 5-5.

The Slovakian went 0-40 down and was then left rooted to her baseline when Ostapenko slapped a big backhand return winner down the line. This time there was no way back as Ostapenko served out for the set to love, finishing the job with two successive aces.

Cibulkova retrieved an early break at the start of the second set, but Ostapenko made what proved a decisive move by breaking to lead 3-2. The world No 12 went on to serve out for the match and secured her victory after 82 minutes with a backhand winner. It was her 33rdwinner of the match compared with just six by Cibulkova.