LONDON, July 5 — Elena Vesnina swept into her first Wimbledon semi-final today as the unseeded Russian’s 6-2, 6-2 victory over Dominika Cibulkova freed her Slovakian opponent to focus on her impending wedding.

Cibulkova is due to marry fiancé Miso Navara in her hometown of Bratislava on Saturday — the same day as the women’s final — and the 27-year-old was willing to postpone the ceremony if she won the quarterfinal.

But world number 50 Vesnina took advantage of a distracted display from Cibulkova to become the fifth unseeded woman to reach the All England Club semi-finals since the Grand Slams switched to 32 seeds in 2001.

Vesnina will play defending champion Serena Williams on Thursday for a place in the final, while 19th seed Cibulkova can dash back to Slovakia to prepare for her big day.

Serena has won all four of their previous encounters and Vesnina said: "Serena is one of the greatest. I always watch her matches.

"I have to go on to the court with all my heart and take my chances.”

The 29-year-old’s surprise run to her first Grand Slam semi-final is the high point of an impressive career revival after she was ranked a lowly 111 at the end of 2015 — her first year-end finish outside the top 100 for 10 years.

"It feels amazing. I can’t believe I won,” Vesnina said.

"I had a tough end of last year. I dropped out of the top 100 and had difficult times.

"It makes you stronger. You have to deserve it. I knew I had the game. I just had to believe in myself.”

Cibulkova, a 2014 Australian Open finalist, had originally chosen Saturday as her wedding day because her wretched record on grass convinced her there was no chance of making the final.

Having insisted it would be no problem to put the confetti on hold, Cibulkova, who stunned world number three Agnieszka Radwanska in the fourth round, instead played as though she had decided walking down the aisle was far more important than the possibility of appearing in her first Wimbledon final.

Vesnina, a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion, broke in the third and fifth games of the first set and kept Cibulkova from launching a fightback in the second.

The Russian, who admits her game has improved since getting married last year, broke twice as she romped to victory in just 76 minutes. — AFP