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Click here to discuss the Bartoli/Flipkens semifinal with fellow tennis fans.
Click here to discuss the Radwanska/Lisicki semifinal with fellow tennis fans.
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One semifinal was a quick, lop-sided affair, while the second was a long, hard-fought match to decide the line-up for Saturday’s final at the All-England Club. Marion Bartoli dispatched Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-2, in just over an hour, to make her second ever final at Wimbledon. Whether the Belgian’s sore knee was an issue, or her nerves, Bartoli was by far the more aggressive and solid, nearly doubling Flipkens in winners, and winning all of the points when she ventured to net. She was broken only once, but broke straight back. She later said she was seeing the ball “like a football.”
Sabine Lisicki needed 2 hours 19 minutes to squeak past Aga Radwanska, the #4 seed, but not before going down 0-3 in the third. The German Lisicki had to fight back from a similar deficit in her fourth round upset of Serena Williams, and she said it gave her the confidence to battle back again. She eventually prevailed, 6-4, 2-6, 9-7.
A new Ladies’ Wimbledon champion was already guaranteed by the semifinals. Sabine Lisicki reaches her first Major final ever. She’ll bring her big serve to the contest on Saturday, and a 3-1 winning record over Marion Bartoli, having won their last three encounters. Bartoli will bring her aggressive return game, and the benefit of experience.