Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage from the first of the women's 2014 Wimbledon semi-finals between Czech duo Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova.

So Petra Kvitova's first final of the year will be the Wimbledon final. But will she face third seed Simona Halep or 13th seed Eugenie Bouchard? That match will be coming up next.

Kvitova 7-6(6) 6-1 Safarova. GAME, SET AND MATCH. Another booming ace from the Kvitova racquet brings up three match points. But one is all she needs and Kvitova returns to the Wimbledon final with a backhand winner across court.

Kvitova 7-6(6) 5-1 Safarova. BREAK. Kvitova is handed two more break points when Safarova goes long with a cross court forehand. The 23rd seed saves the first with a much bigger first serve that Kvitova cannot return but the sixth seed does secure the double break at the second attempt when another Safarova forehand sails long. The 2011 champion will serve for a place in the final.

Kvitova 7-6(6) 4-1 Safarova. Another huge screech from Kvitova as she waits an age for a high ball to drop before belting it across court for a forehand winner that sees her level at 30-all. But the sixth seed misses a forehand wide on the next point and it is break back point Safarova. The 27-year-old nets her forehand return after a decent second serve body serve from Kvitova and the sixth seed goes on to hold with a cross court forehand that Safarova simply cannot return in play. That could be a very important game for Kvitova as she moves to within a couple of games of a place in the Wimbledon final.

Kvitova 7-6(6) 3-1 Safarova. The 23rd seed is frustrated with herself when she sends a forehand just long of the baseline down the centre of the court. But it's only a temporary blip for Safarova as she makes amends on the very next point, sealing the game with an ace. She's off the mark in this second set and only trails by a break.

Kvitova 7-6(6) 3-0 Safarova. Safarova goes just wide with an attempted forehand down the line to hand Kvitova the first point of the game but she pulls things back level with a fizzing forehand return winner that should get a little frustration out of her system. Kvitova comes up with a big serve just when she needs it most, earning herself a game point from deuce when Safarova's reply fails to clear the net. Safarova responds with another blistering reply, a forehand winner straight down the line that leaves Kvitova rooted to the spot. But Kvitova sets up another game point and this time she takes it when Safarova just marginally misses a forehand long down the line. That's the break consolidated for the sixth seed but it was a real battle. Safarova is not out of this yet.

Kvitova 7-6(6) 2-0 Safarova. BREAK. Kvitova whips a forehand across court for a wrong-footing winner that sees her apply some pressure to the Safarova serve at 15-30. She then repeats the feat from an even more narrow angle to bring up two early break points. The first goes begging for Kvitova when Safarova when thumps a forehand onto the baseline and draws the error, while the second is saved by the 27-year-old with a big serve. Kvitova earns herself a third chance, however, with a big forehand return back to the feet of Safarova and this time she does break, another forehand cross court winner sealing it.

Kvitova 7-6(6) 1-0 Safarova. A freer Kvitova comes out for the second set and quickly racks up the first couple of points. Safarova pegs one point back with a brutal backhand return of serve right back at the feet of Kvitova but the sixth seed uses her serve to great effect on the next two points and holds for the loss of just that one point. An important service game coming up for Safarova now.

Kvitova 7-6(6) Safarova. SET. Safarova nets a forehand that she is forced to play while retreating and it's a second set point to Kvitova. And this time it a set point on the sixth seed's serve. Kvitova does take the first set, whipping an angled forehand winner across court. The sixth seed lets out a screech (not a yell, a screech) of delight. She has one foot in her second Wimbledon semi-final.

Kvitova 6-6 (6-6) Safarova. TIE-BREAK. Kvitova is made to pay for trying to place her first serve out wide and Safarova leaps all over it with a forehand return down the line followed by a forehand winner across court. A much better first serve on the next point is unreturned by Safarova and brings up a first set point for the sixth seed. But Safarova comes up with a brilliant serve out wide to save it and level the scores at the second change of ends.

Kvitova 6-6 (5-5) Safarova. TIE-BREAK. Safarova pegs the mini-break back with a blistering backhand winner down the line after pushing Kvitova wide across court. The 27-year-old then produces just her second ace of the match to level up the scores. But a poor forehand error on the next point leaves Kvitova two points away from taking the first set with two service points to come.

Kvitova 6-6 (4-2) Safarova. TIE-BREAK. This breaker looks to be following a similar pattern of all their previous breakers, Kvitova snatching the mini-break with a huge forehand return that Safarova cannot deal with before stretching that lead heading into the change of ends when Safarova goes long with a forehand down the centre of the court.

Kvitova 6-6 Safarova. Kvitova holds once again without too much trouble to force this set into a tie-break. These two played a tie-break in the final set at Eastbourne in the lead up to Wimbledon and Kvitova triumphed 7-4 that day. In fact, Kvitova has won all the tie-breaks they have played in the past - also triumphing 7-4 in Sydney at the start of the year while taking the breaker 7-2 in Doha shortly after Sydney.

Kvitova 5-6 Safarova. A netted, fairly routine, backhand from Safarova puts some pressure on her serve as it allows Kvitova to draw level at 30-all. But the 23rd seed shakes off the error and produces consecutive forehand winners off the shorter ball to take the next two points and sneak ahead once more. Kvitova will need to serve to stay in the set for a second time.

Kvitova 5-5 Safarova. Kvitova's heavy first serve flies off Safarova's racket and wide after the 27-year-old attempts to control an inside out forehand. The next serve is too much for Safarova as well and Kvitova holds to 15 to level up once more.

Kvitova 4-5 Safarova. Tremendous depth from Safarova draws the forehand error from Kvitova and brings up three game points for the 27-year-old. She only needs the one though and finds a forehand winner to leave herself potentially just one game away from taking this first set. Kvitova will have to serve to stay in the set after the change of ends.

Kvitova 4-4 Safarova. Kvitova just rushing Safarova through a service game to post a second successive comfortable hold. The sixth seed does that very well, cutting out the time that her opponent has and rushing them into errors.

Kvitova 3-4 Safarova. Safarova is nearly down on her knees as she plays a low sliced backhand right on the sideline. But she someone manages to get up and across the court to whip a running forehand winner across court on the angle to seal a game for the loss of just the one point.

Kvitova 3-3 Safarova. An important hold for Kvitova as she eases through her most comfortable service game yet, dropping just the one point and sealing it with an ace.

Kvitova 2-3 Safarova. A big serve from Safarova, that a stretched Kvitova can only return into the net, helps the 23rd seed earn herself a game point from 30-all. And another big serve seals it, Kvitova this time going long with her stretched return. Great serving from Safarova, who moves ahead for the first time in this semi-final.