Wimbledon 2018: Goerges savors sweetness of 'unexpected' quarterfinal clash with Bertens

LONDON, Great Britain - Julia Goerges never expected to make her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon - but thinks it's all the sweeter for coming at a tournament and on a surface where she has not always been successful.

"I've played some fourth rounds in the other Grand Slams already, except here," she told reporters after beating Donna Vekic 6-3, 6-2. "So for me maybe it's a bit sweeter because I didn't quite expect it here. But it's nice. I figured out probably a lot of times before how to not reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal, so I think I've done it pretty well today. I'm very proud and pleased with it."

The German next faces her friend and sometime doubles partner Kiki Bertens - another player who has done better away from the grass in the past, and who has enjoyed a run of shocks in SW19 this year, beating both seventh seed Karolina Pliskova and ninth seed Venus Williams en route to the quarterfinals.

"I think every single person deserves that spot here," Goerges added. "It's not really surprising me, honestly, because everybody can play pretty good tennis. It's not for me, if you say 'upset', maybe it's upset on paper, but it's not surprising me that everybody can play great tennis. 

"Honestly for me when I play those girls, doesn't matter if it's top 10 or maybe the girls who are now in the quarterfinal, it's not a surprise for me. I can feel the ball. I can feel the game when I'm playing them. For me, everybody is dangerous."

The pair have played twice before - both times on clay, and both times the Dutchwoman came through to win.

"It's a completely different story on grass than on clay," Goerges pointed out. "We know each other pretty well. We played some doubles together. We go for dinner sometimes, as well. We know each other not only on court, but off court as well. I think it's a great opportunity for both of us."

Goerges knows that whatever happens in the quarterfinal, it won't affect her friendship with Bertens.

"It will stay the same after the match as it did the last two times too, at the same time we played doubles," she explained.