Ashleigh Barty and Petra Kvitova have both shown real mental strength to overcome very different challenges to reach the Aegon Classic final in Birmingham. For Kvitova it has been six months of recovery from a terrible incident at her home which left her racket hand badly injured, while Barty opted out of tennis by choice in 2014, forging a career in women’s cricket in Australia before returning to the sport that saw her become Wimbledon junior singles champion in 2011.

Barty lost her love for the game but the period out of the sport allowed her to rediscover the passion that is such a major part of the way she plays.

Kvitova is a two-time Wimbledon singles champion and goes into the final as the favourite having won their only previous meeting. However, Barty is an outstanding competitor, as she showed by defeating former French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a great semi-final. 

The players faced each other at the French Open five years ago and Barty admitted: “She absolutely taught me a lesson at the French. I was very young back then, but yeah, she actually wiped the floor with me, so hopefully we can turn the tables a little bit tomorrow.

“But I'm obviously I'm in a very different place. She's also in a very different place. I mean not just from my perspective, but I think from everyone, I think it's amazing to have her back on the tour, and to be successful straightaway is just phenomenal.

"I don't think you can find any female tennis player, any tennis player at all who isn't happy to see her back and genuinely pleased she's back on tour and being successful.

“She's one of the nicest girls you'll ever meet, not just in the tennis world. So it's so nice to have her back out on the court. Obviously it's a big challenge for me tomorrow. She's won Wimbledon a couple of times and is amazing on grass court as well. So it's going to be a good battle for me.

“It's nice to be able to string a few matches together and be playing reasonably well and be confident out on court coming into Wimbledon.”

Kvitova, 27, is playing only her second tournament since her hand was injured last December and is amazed by her rapid success. Just reaching the final is a major achievement for a player who will, as a result, be one of the main contenders for another Wimbledon triumph. She reached the final after close friend Lucie Safarova was forced to retire with a leg injury and said: “I couldn't have imagined a better comeback than I am having now.  I am happy that I am able to show good tennis here.

“With Ashleigh, she's the kind of player for sure with a great touch. She's creative, she's changing direction a lot, slice, some volleys drop shot, some things like that. So it will be always interesting to play her because you never know what other shots she will bring.”

Kvitova is playing down her Wimbledon chances and added: “Because I didn't play for six months, I am just here to play as many matches as I can, and I'm not really seeing myself as one of them who can win.”

The weather relented at the Aegon Trophy at Ilkley, where British wildcard Jay Clarke’s great run came to an end as he lost to Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-4.

Also into the quarter finals was Evgeny Donskoy who defeated the dangerous Taylor Fritz 7-6(3), 6-4  while the big serving Sam Groth fought through to triumph over Bjorn Fratangelo 7-6(5), 6-4. The semi-final line up was completed when Aussie Alex Bolt defeated Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-2. The men then returned to battle it out with Fucsovics beating Donskoy 7-5, 7-6(3) to make it into the final where he meets Bolt who was a 6-4,6 -4 winner over Groth.

Andrea Petkovic raced into the women’s semi-finals beating Tatjana Maria 6-3, 6-3 and was joined by grass expert Magdalena Rybarikova, who overcame Madison Brengle 6-7, 6-1, 6-2. Marina Erakovic had a real battle before overcoming Maryna Zanevska 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 while  Alison Van Uytvanck was handed the win when  Maria Sakkari retired at 6-6, 6-4, 3-0.

The women also had a quick turn around and it was Van Uytvanck who proved too strong for Erakovic 6-4, 6-2 and will face Rybarikova in the final, who defeated Petkovic 6-3, 6-3.