Filed under: Tennis, Wimbledon
Ruthless Russian Maria Sharapova stormed into the Wimbledon semi-finals with a 6-1 6-1 win over Dominika Cibulkova to set up a date with wildcard entrant Sabine Lisicki on Thursday.The 2004 champion needed just an hour to come through her clash as she crushed Cibulkova, who had ended top seed Caroline Wozniacki's hopes on Monday, and she is now regarded as the red-hot favourite to win the tournament.
Lisicki, a quarter-finalist here two years ago before a serious ankle injury, continued her remarkable run at Wimbledon after she sealed a spot in the semi-finals at the expense of Marion Bartoli under the SW19 Centre Court roof.
The German claimed a deserved 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-1 victory over France's Bartoli, who had ended Serena Williams' defence of her SW19 crown in the previous round on Monday, after fighting back from a second-set wobble in which she spurned three match points.
Petra Kvitova defeated Tsvetana Pironkova 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-2 on Court One following a rain delay. She will play Victoria Azarenka, who defeated Tamira Paszek 6-3 6-1.
COMPETITION: Win a HEAD Tennis Racquet Signed By Andy Murray
The day's opening match between Lisicki and Bartoli began with three consecutive breaks of serve but once the former had gained her second in game three, she rarely looked threaten in the first set and duly served out to seize the initiative.
There was little to choose between the pair in the second set but the 21-year-old German broke in game nine to leave her serving for a place in the semis.
However, she spurned three match points as the nerves began to take their toll and Bartoli broke back when the German double faulted for the first time in the match.
The Frenchwoman duly levelled the match by taking the tie-breaker with a drop shot, yet rather than kicking on Bartoli suddenly cut an exhausted figure and Lisicki raced into a 3-0 lead, breaking when the Frenchwoman herself double faulted.
Bartoli netted to hand Lisicki a second lead and a 5-1 advantage and there was to be no repeat of her second-set stage fright as she wrapped up the contest with her fourth and final match point.
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