Tennis-Czech Pliskova finally reaches Wimbledon semi-finals

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 6, 2021 Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova celebrates winning her quarter final match against Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic REUTERS/Paul Childs

LONDON (Reuters) - Facing an onslaught of 116 mph missiles flying in from Karolina Pliskova, there was little Viktorija Golubic could have done to avoid the barrage on Tuesday as the Czech finally reached the Wimbledon semi-finals after almost a decade of trying.

Neither player had reached the last eight of the grasscourt major before this week but it was big-hitting Pliskova, a former world number one, who made her greater big-stage experience count with a rapid-fire 6-2 6-2 win on a floodlit Court One.