Wedding plans uncertain for winning Cibulkova

Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova may have to postpone her wedding on Saturday after reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon with a rip-roaring victory over third seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

Everything is prepared for her to marry Miso Navara in Bratislava on the day of the women’s final, the wedding date set well before Cibulkova discovered a penchant for grasscourt tennis that earned her the Eastbourne title nine days ago and a place in the last eight at the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament.

“We chose this (date) because I never saw myself as such a great grasscourt player,” a beaming Cibulkova said. “But winning Eastbourne and now being in the quarterfinals I would change my mind.

“But it’s no problem. We can postpone it (the wedding). I’m still here and I’m playing my match tomorrow.”

On Monday, Cibulkova used a thunderous serve and thumping forehand to wear down Radwanska 6-3 5-7 9-7 in an energy-sapping contest between power and touch.

It was the second time in two weeks that she had beaten Radwanska after a quarterfinal victory at Eastbourne.

Cibulkova broke the Pole, whose all-court game lacked bite and precision at the start, in the fourth game of the first set and won it with a big serve that Radwanska knocked tamely into the net.

The pair exchanged breaks throughout the second set and Radwanska saved a match point in the ninth game, finding some verve and finish to grab the set from the disappointed Slovak.

The two women ramped up the quality in the final set, hitting the lines, producing deft dropshots and fighting through exhausting groundstroke rallies.

Cibulkova clinched a high-quality victory in exactly three hours.

Her quarterfinal opponent will be Elena Vesnina, who overcame fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova – also by the scoreline of 9-7 in the third.