Sabine Lisicki Has Polish Roots, Just Like Semifinal Foe Radwanska

Written by: Staff on 3rd July 2013

Sabine Lisicki Has Polish Roots, Just Like Semifinal Foe Radwanska

epa03771123 Sabine Lisicki of Germany serves to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during their quarter-final match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 02 July 2013. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

Much is being made of Poland’s success at this year’s Wimbledon with three members of that nation having advanced deep in the tournament, and for good reason, but one of the women’s semifinalists, Sabine Lisicki, could have also joined Agnieszka Radwanska, Jerzy Janowicz and Lukasz Kubot as representatives of the country had her parents not emigrated to West Germany from Poland in 1979.

Her father, Dr. Richard Lisicki, is of German and Polish descent and her mother, Elisabeth, is Polish. They were part of a large German minority in Poland, which in 2011, according to the national census consisted of 148,000 people. Some 64,000 of those declared both German and Polish nationalities, and 45,000 solely German nationalities. There are said to be 325 Polish schools that use the German language as its first language of instruction

Lisicki was born 12 year after her parents emigrated and speaks German, Polish and English. She is of the same generation of the Agnieszka Radwanska, her sister Urszula, and two other high level players with Polish origins, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber.

She will play Radwanska in the semifinals of Wimbledon, who recalls their junior days.

“I remember, and actually we talked about that not so long time ago that we played some teams championship in Poland that I think was under 10 or 12,” she said. “ So it was really long time ago,” she said. “The time flies, and suddenly we all here playing semifinal of a Grand Slam. So I think this is great to face someone that you know for so many years, playing all these tournament under 10, 12, 14, then juniors as well.”

Lisicki began training at then Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida 2004 and has the trademark hard groundstrokes that the legendary coach is known for teaching. But she also has one of the game’s biggest serves, which lead her to an upset of Serena Williams in the quarterfinals and a comprehensive 6-3 6-3 victory over Kaia Kanepi in the quarterfinals

This is the second time that Lisicki has reached the final four at Wimbledon. While she can’t be considered a grass court specialist, she has done far better at Wimbledon than any other Slam. In 2001, she lost to Maria Sharapova in the semifinals.

“I know how it is to be in the semifinal here,” she said. “I am glad I had that experience before and I feel much fresher and fitter than two years ago. I am hitting the ball well and moving well.”

She and Radwanska have only played each other twice in the pros, a three-set victory for Lisicki at 2011 Stanford and a straight-set win for Radwanska at 2012 Dubai.

The Wimbledon semifinals will match Lisicki brawn versus Radwanska creativity.

“Radwanska plays a very smart game,” Lisicki said of the 2012 Wimbledon finalist. “She moves well around the court. She was in the final last year, so she has a lot of confidence with that.”

Radwanska, who is contending with leg injury, has vowed to play through even the most severe pain. She realizes that she has big task on her hands: odds makers have tabbed Lisicki as the favorite to win the title.

“She has a big serve, so I will have to be careful on that,” she said.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Agnieszka Radwanska, Jerzy Janowicz, Lukasz Kubot, Polish tennis news, Sabine Lisicki, Wimbledon Championships, Wimbledon tennis news

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10sBalls_com says:

July 3, 2013 at 10:15 am

Sabine Lisicki Has Polish Roots, Just Like Semifinal Foe Radwanska- http://t.co/LcFNtgm64c #tennis @sabinelisicki @Wimbledon @BleacherReport
10sBalls.com says:

July 3, 2013 at 10:16 am

Sabine Lisicki Has Polish Roots, Just Like Semifinal Foe Radwanska – https://archive.10sballs.com/?p=90673