Lisicki storms into semi-finals

Germany’s Sabine Lisicki followed-up her shock defeat of Serena Williams with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi on Tuesday to reach her second Wimbledon semi-final.

The German 23rd seed, who also made the last-four as a wildcard in 2011, goes on to face either Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, the runner-up to five-time champion Williams last year, or Chinese sixth seed Li Na for a place in the final.

“It was an amazing match yesterday, but I had to make sure that I had calmed down and was ready for today,” said Lisicki, who completed victory in her fourth Wimbledon quarter-final just before rain began to fall.

“I have had experience of other years to help me. I also played the semi-finals in 2011 so that helped me be ready for today.” Lisicki, who was defeated by Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals two years ago, insisted that she felt no pressure coming into Wednesday’s match having downed Williams in the fourth round.

“There’s no pressure. I just keep playing the game that I love,” she added.

It’s also a surface she loves -- the German’s record at Wimbledon stands at 18 wins and just four losses while she is only 16-15 at the three other Slams. Kanepi has now played and lost six quarter-finals at the majors.

“I hit winners in previous matches and did well, but today I was missing a lot,” admitted the 28-year-old. “But on grass there is no Plan B.I just have to go for my shots.If there is a ball, I have to hit it.” Lisicki showed no signs of a hangover from her two-hour, three-set triumph over Williams 24 hours earlier as the 23-year-old Florida-based German broke the world number 46 Kanepi in the opening game on a half-full Court One.

She backed it up with another solid break in the ninth game to take the opening set.

Lisicki, whose ranking slumped to 218 in March 2011 as she battled a career-threatening ankle injury, suffered a brief wobble when she was broken for the first time in the third game of the second set by the 2010 quarter-finalist.

But she levelled immediately before going on to claim five of the next six games to clinch victory inside just 65 minutes on the back of 23 solid winners.

AFP