Sabine Lisicki ended Serena Williams’ reign as Wimbledon champion as the German 23rd seed clinched a stunning three-set victory over the world number one in the fourth round.Lisicki, who plays Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi for a place in the last four, has an impressive Wimbledon record, reaching the quarter-finals three times and the last four in 2011.
But this incredible 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 upset on Centre Court was by far her greatest achievement at the All England Club.
The 23-year-old has failed to make it past the fourth round in 16 grand slam appearances outside Wimbledon, but she comes alive on the grass-courts of south-west London.
“I’m still shaking, I’m so happy,” said Lisicki as she broke into tears.
“Serena played a fantastic match. She’s such a tough opponent and it’s just an amazing feeling to win.
“The crowd was so amazing. I love this court so much, it’s such a special place for me.”
Her remarkable victory was no fluke.
Despite facing the most ferocious hitter in the history of women’s tennis, Lisicki matched Serena blow for blow, unloading more winners and serving more aces than the five-time Wimbledon champion in two hours and four minutes of high drama.
In a tournament most memorable this year for the fall of its biggest stars, this was arguably the most astonishing result of all.
Since an embarrassing first round loss against Virginie Razzano at last year’s French Open, Williams had simply been unstoppable, winning 77 of her 80 matches and collecting the Wimbledon, US Open, French Open and Olympic titles in the process.
Lisicki took out the first set before Williams hit back, breaking to love in the third game of the second set during a run of 14 successive points for the American.
She took the set with two more breaks and by the time Williams moved into a 3-0 lead in the deciding set she had won nine consecutive games.
But Williams’ concentration wavered with the finish line in sight, allowing Lisicki a lifeline as the German broke in the fifth game.
Even when Williams’ broke straight back, Lisicki would not surrender and another break from the German made it 4-4.
Incredibly, Lisicki was back on top and she broke for a 5-4 lead when Williams sent a smash just beyond the baseline before taking out the clash on her second match point the following game.
In other matches American Sloane Stephens reached her second grand slam quarter-final of the year, beating 19-year-old Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Britain’s dreams of a first woman in the Wimbledon quarter-finals for 29 years were shattered when Laura Robson bowed out in tears after falling to Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi.
Though roared on in a closely-fought match in the 11,000-seater Court One bowl, Kanepi just had the edge in the crucial points to win their fourth round clash 7-6 (8-6), 7-5.
And Chinese sixth seed Li Na raced into the last eight with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Italian 11th seed Roberta Vinci.
– Agencies
