London, Jul 1: Former champion Petra Kvitova became the first player to reach the quarterfinals at this year's Wimbledon, beating Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 7-6 (5), 6-3 on Monday.
She was joined minutes later by Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, who reached her first career Grand Slam quarterfinal by ousting Flavia Pennetta of Italy 7-6 (2), 6-3 -- a year after her ranking plummeted as low as 262nd because of injuries.
In a busy day at Wimbledon, all remaining men and women were set to play their fourth-round matches. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams were both playing on Centre Court later, along with second-seeded Andy Murray.
Kvitova served for the first set at 6-5 but was broken at love and then lost four straight points in the tiebreaker to trail 4-3. But she capitalized on a couple of errors by the Spaniard and converted her first set point when Suarez Navarro netted a backhand.
In the second, she broke to lead 4-2, and served out the match at love when Suarez Navarro sent a forehand long.
The 18th-ranked Suarez Navarro was the first Spanish woman since 2001 to reach the fourth round at the All England Club.
Kvitova will next play Flipkens, whose career-best Grand Slam showing comes after she had much of 2012 ruined by injuries, including blood clots in her calf.
She missed last year's Wimbledon but has bounced back this year and is currently ranked 20th.
After clinching the win against Pennetta with an overhead smash, Flipkens fell on her back on the grass, covering her face with her hands in apparent disbelief.
