Wimbledon 2014: Petra Kvitova beats Lucie Safarova in semi-final

Former champion Petra Kvitova will face Eugenie Bouchard in the Wimbledon final after seeing off fellow Czech Lucie Safarova in straight sets.

Kvitova, seeded sixth, won 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 in the first all-Czech semi-final at a Grand Slam.

The 2011 champion plays the 13th seed in Saturday's decider after she beat third seed Simona Halep.

"It was a tough match mentally because Lucie is a great friend of mine," Kvitova said.

"I tried to be focused from the start of the second set. I managed to break her service in the first game and just kept it going and served well.

"I am just emotional from this match. I have two days before the final to focus but I know how it feels to lift that trophy so I will try my best to do it again."

In the other semi-final, 20-year-old Bouchard secured her first Grand Slam final berth after disposing of Halep 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 in 90 minutes.

Kvitova and Safarova are Fed Cup team-mates and train at the same club in Prostejov.

At 24, Kvitova was the younger by three years, but the senior partner in terms of achievement.

A Grand Slam winner already, she had a 5-0 record against Safarova, a heavier serve and more potent attacking game - but Safarova was far from overawed on her Centre Court debut.

Kvitova moved ahead with an immediate break when she swept a forehand winner across court, but Safarova found her feet quickly and made it 2-2 with a backhand into the corner.

From then on there was little to separate the two left-handers, Kvitova's more powerful serving pegged back by her greater errors off the ground.

It came down to the finest of margins, with Safarova saving a set point at 5-6 thanks to a fine swinging serve, before Kvitova clinched it with a sharp return and a wrong-footing forehand.

The familiar yelp of delight followed, and there were relieved looks from coach David Kotyza at courtside as the former world number two edged towards a second Grand Slam final.

Kvitova was swinging freely as she broke serve with another forehand into the corner at the start of the second set, before coming through a tough service game to move 3-0 in front.

Safarova had a chance to get back in the contest with a break point in game five but she could only find the net as she went for too much on a second-serve return.

After losing in her last two Grand Slam semi-finals, Kvitova ensured there would be no hat-trick of defeats as she raced to the finish line, angling away a backhand on match point before embracing her compatriot at the net.

Safarova and Kvitova helped the Czech Republic to Fed Cup glory in 2011 and 2012

Kvitova served eight aces and had 34 winners against Safarova