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London - Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova recovered from a set down to beat Francesca Schiavone 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 on Monday and secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
Schiavone, the Italian 24th seed, remonstrated with the umpire after slipping on the wet grass as she lost the second set and never recovered her composure, the Czech fourth seed going on to win the final set with ease.
The 22-year-old faces four-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in the last eight.
Kvitova triumphed in two hours and 39 minutes out on the sunken, 2 000-seater Court 3, the newest show court.
The left-hander had already beaten Schiavone twice before this year, both in straight sets, in the Fed Cup and at Stuttgart.
Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion and the oldest woman in the fourth round at 32, was making her 48th consecutive Grand Slam appearance, the longest active streak.
Kvitova only had herself to blame in the first set, earning 10 break points and converting none of them.
The Czech hit more winners, more aces and fewer double faults but Schiavone only needed the one break point for the set.
The Italian broke early in the second set but Kvitova immediately levelled for 2-2.
Schiavone had a great chance to halt the champion in the ninth game but, with Kvitova having run wide, she missed the open court completely.
The Milanese right-hander fought back hard to stave off a deuce to make it 5-5.
As Schiavone hit a double fault to take the 12th game to deuce, the umpire erroneously called game and second set to Kvitova, sparking the Italian's fury. She served another double fault to give Kvitova set point.
Schiavone then slipped as she took the game back to deuce, complaining to the umpire, Fiona Edwards.
The players had been called off from Centre Court and Court One due to the spitting rain. Edwards felt the grass and play stopped, though the covers were not brought on.
When they returned came back out of their seats, Kvitova won the set when Schiavone overhit.
The Italian was increasingly unhappy with the slipperiness but Edwards insisted they play on.
Schiavone apparently let it get to her as Kvitova reeled off seven games in a row.
Though Schiavone won a game, it only delayed the inevitable and Kvitova took the next game to love and the match.
