Krejcikova: "I've been through a very difficult period".

Barbora Krejcikova defied the odds to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon on Wednesday. In 1 hour, 40 minutes and two sets (6-4, 7-6), she dominated a Jelena Ostapenko who had lost just 15 games in four matches prior to this quarter-final.

The Czech was all the happier for having gone through a very difficult period between the Australian Open (where she reached the quarters) and the start of Wimbledon. Initially suffering from a back injury, she was due to make her comeback in Miami, but then contracted a very severe flu which left her bedridden and weakened until the French Open.

As a result, she won just 3 of the 10 matches she played between the end of January and the beginning of July. Five very complicated months, which make her performance on Wimbledon's grass even more memorable.

Barbora Kejcikova: "I can't say a word right now. I finished just a minute ago. I was so focused on my match and gave it everything I had. I'm happy to have succeeded. It's a great moment for me. A great moment in my tennis career that I'm experiencing right now.

I went through a very difficult period (from the end of January to the end of June), even before this tournament. I'd like to thank my team for their support. We had a lot of doubts within the team, and there were also a lot of doubts from the outside world. But I'm really happy that I never gave up, that I'm here now and that I've qualified for a semi-final."