Wimbledon star Donna Vekic ready for World Cup rivalry with boyfriend Wawrinka

Croatian Donna Vekic wants her country’s football team to set up a World Cup semi-final with Switzerland, even though it might lead to an awkward evening at home.

Zlatko Dalic’s men came through a nervy last-16 encounter with Denmark on Sunday night, winning a penalty shoot-out.

Vekic, who ousted fourth seed and reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round at Wimbledon, is in a relationship with Swiss Stan Wawrinka and hopes their respective nations meet at Russia 2018.

“Oh my god, I watched it, it was crazy, I couldn’t sleep after that, I was like, ‘S***!’,” she said of Sunday’s win. “That was a close one.

“I think, like me, we should take it one match at a time.

“I am hoping for a Switzerland against Croatia in the semi-finals.”

Vekic, 22, is not afraid to go into a verbal battle with Wawrinka, even though he gave her coach Torben Beltz some grief after Germany went out.

Asked who was better at trash-talking, she said: “Stan is pretty good, he was giving a lot to Torben (Beltz) after Germany went out because Torben likes to talk as well!”

Marin Cilic also watched Croatia’s game nervously, on the night before his first-round match with Yoshihito Nishioka.

Cilic, a firm football fan, is reluctant to look too far ahead as his country go for a maiden World Cup success.

“Croatia’s match was a big drama last night,” he said. “We were on the edge of our seats and it was not easy to follow the penalties.

“In the end, luckily we won. What a victory, I guess. And still three more matches to go, but we have to take it match by match.”