Wimbledon’s Women’s Finalists Are Strong Players

Written by: Staff on 5th July 2013

Wimbledon’s Women’s Finalists Are Strong Players

epa03776522 Germany's championship hopeful Sabine Lisicki during a training session on the eve of the women's final for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 05 July 2013. EPA/GERRY PENNY |

Tomorrow’s Wimbledon Ladies final has been heralded as the most unexpected in years and the two contestants, Marion Bartoli and Sabine Lisicki may be relative strangers to many. But the pair have proved themselves to be the strongest two players standing at a tournament brim-full of female shocks and maintain they are fully worthy of their places.

Bartoli was a Wimbledon finalist six years ago in 2007 when she produced another major upset in beating Justine Henin in the semis, but with the big prize at stake she lost out 6-4,6-1 to Venus Williams. Now aged 28 and ranked world no.15 she gets another chance and insisted: “I felt I deserved it.”

Lisicki, who shed tears of joy when she beat Serena Williams in the fourth round, will contest a major final for the first time and follows in the footsteps of Steffi Graf 14 years earlier as a German contesting the most cherished prize in the women’s tennis.

The 24 year-old from Troisdorf and based for much of the year in Bradenton, Florida revealed that Graf sent her a text message of support before the semi-final win against last year’s finalist Agnieszka Radwanska and the 23rd seed said: “I am just overwhelmed and so happy. It couldn’t be any better, and there couldn’t be any better place to play the first Grand Slam final.

“Steffi wished me luck before the match. She told me to go for it, and I’m just so happy. I was just fighting for every single point out there. Fought my heart out. When I arrived here at Wimbledon I said that anything’s possible. That’s what I believed and I still do.

“To win the title would be a dream coming true. I’ve been dreaming about that since I was a little girl. That’s why I said it’s the best place to play my first Grand Slam final. I couldn’t imagine any better place and just can’t wait to play on Saturday.”

The final will be a matchup between two of the most powerful hitters in the women’s game and Bartoli, who completely outplayed a less than fit Kirsten Flipkens in the semi enthused: “I just cannot believe it, I played so well.

“I think she [Flipkens] was a bit injured. She deserves a lot of credit, but it must be hard to be injured in the semi-final at Wimbledon. I saw the ball like a football. I hit it cleanly from the start. To play so well in the semi-final at Wimbledon is an amazing feeling.”

Bartoli has endured a tough year, after finally deciding to break with her father Walter as coach. She is currently being guided by former Wimbledon champion and French Fed Cup captain Amelie Mauresmo and said: “I believe as a sportsperson you cannot have always some highs, and you have to go through some low moments to enjoy even more the highs.

“Yes, I’ve been having some tough moments — most out of the court than on the court, to be honest with you. But I think carry on the same attitude every single day on the practice court and in the gym and whatever helped me to really bounce back and to come back in the great shape that I am right now. Obviously it shows that determination and truth for every single day always pays off.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Marion Bartoli, Sabine Lisicki, Sports, Tennis News, Wimbledon Championships

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10sBalls_com says:

July 5, 2013 at 8:46 am

Wimbledon’s Women’s Finalists Are Strong Players – http://t.co/vBz1p0DlUa @Wimbledon #tennis #wimbledon @sabinelisicki @bartoli_marion