Wimbledon - Safina battles into first semi-finals

Eurosport - Wed, 01 Jul 13:00:00 2009

World number one Dinara Safina reached her first Wimbledon semi-final but she had a real fight on her hand subduing feisty German Sabine Lisicki 6-7 6-4 6-1.

Dinara Safina of Russia reacts during her quarter-final match against Sabine Lisicki of Germany at Wimbledon REUTERS - 0

The willowy Muscovite's serve let her down badly at crucial moments in a tense match and she will need to sharpen her game if she is to have a serious chance against five-times Wimbledon champion Venus Williams for a place in the final.

"I was tough mentally - that was the key today," Safina said afterwards.

The battle-hardened Safina, playing her 50th match of the year, lost a tight tie-break on a double fault, one of 15 in a patchy performance on a sun-kissed Centre Court.

In one game alone in the first set, she had three double faults and could not cope with the unseeded Lisicki's power and pace which had earlier in the tournament accounted for French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

"I have had a problem with the knee. I was always compensating it and I lost maybe the rhythm a bit. The serve is there. I just have to put the brain there," Safina explained.

But Safina, world number one like her brother Marat Safin once was, finally found her rhythm in a much more assured second set, dominating the 19-year-old Lisicki, a pupil of Nick Bollettieri's Florida tennis academy.

The top seed took complete control in the deciding set, racing to a 4-1 lead with a double break against Lisicki, who then called the trainer to massage her right leg.

The Russian, whose tortured expressions suggest she is as much fighting her own game as her opponent's, then finished off Lisicki, ranked 41 in the world, with ruthless efficiency.

Safina, who also dropped a set against former champion Amelie Mauresmo in the fourth round, has three times been a finalist in Grand Slams but has never yet managed to win one of the coveted titles.

She will play third seed and defending champion Venus Williams for a place in Saturday's final, after the American cruised past Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1 6-2.

"It's not going to be easy, a match against Venus," she said. "She likes to play on grass. I have nothing to lose. I want to go out, enjoy and show my best tennis."

Reuters

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  1. safina is a porn star by night

    From Gearóid, on Wed 1 Jul 6:47PM

  2. Ler`s be honest . when did Safina was strong mentally­ .
    i don`t remmember that when she was playing Serena at­ aussi pen this year .
    she said that it felt like being­ a ball boy running around.
    i cant imagine her match­ against Venus . she`ll rather enjoy watching Venus Aces­ as a line watcher.

    From abdurrazeg a, on Wed 1 Jul 4:54PM

  3. Venus will show her how to respect a tennis­ "Champion"

    From abdurrazeg a, on Wed 1 Jul 4:47PM

  4. "I was tough mentally - that was the key­ today," Safina said afterwards. hahahahahahaha
    was­ she Serious!!!!

    From abdurrazeg a, on Wed 1 Jul 4:47PM

  5. #3, The Wta did not fix the features and that is why­ the sisters are only meeting in the finals. it is up to­ the rest to stop them as the final is not played yet.­ The road is wide open and the two Russian need to prove­ it. Dinara had conceeded she has nothing to loose. Then­ we can question a no 1 female player where is her­ status gone as no 1 player?

    ranking determine who­ meets who. venus is no3 and serena no 2 so it is not­ possible they meet until final. you would have argued­ the match for Andy murray has been fixed as he has the­ easiest draw so far.. First tested with Wawrinka but­ likely to be stopped in the semis

    From Augustine A, on Wed 1 Jul 3:25PM

  6. at least a gereman champion after steffi, come on­ lisicki keep on working, ure still 19, we want a german­ champion to win slams again and again

    From elie_ghossein, on Wed 1 Jul 10:43AM

  7. Cannot see Safina getting past williams. Venus will be­ far too strong for her but i would like to see someone­ other than the williams sisters win as they have­ dominated for years. As for saying all us brits are­ racist, that is a disgusting comment to make and a­ sweeping generalisation. we are not all racist.

    From misspiggy231180, on Wed 1 Jul 7:58AM

  8. Its a not a joy to watch you play Safina. Your attitude­ during match is awful. As a no. 1 you don throw a your­ racket whenever you loose a point. Thats disturbing to­ watch. Well at least now u don look at your coach­ whenever you loose a point. U cant blame us for­ doubting ur ability as world no.1. Maybe after the­ match with Venus, you will understand why.

    From Bblee, on Wed 1 Jul 3:27AM

  9. safina what a joke
    lets see how she will react
    on venus­ her game on gras.
    i don't think she have a chance­ against
    the big hitting venus.
    venus will crush herr­ all te wayy too the end
    of safina's participation­ on wimbledon ladies singles 2009 thank you.!

    From Mootje M, on Wed 1 Jul 2:21AM

  10. Safina(1)/Lisicki(41) (67 64 61) compares approximately­ to Federer (2)/Garcia-Lopez(42) (62 62 64)

    From Casalpusterlengho, on Wed 1 Jul 12:06AM

  11. Safina thinks she was tough mentally? Hahaha.­ You're the world #1 playing the #41. Let's see­ how tough you are when Venus is kicking your @#$%!

    From Chemical Ali, on Tue 30 Jun 11:53PM

  12. "Dony" You mean no all black final, let's­ get it right apartheid was created by you British and­ you were the biggest slave traders. The most racist­ states in the US are MAKE UP OF PEOPLE THAT originated­ from Britain and the Klan are all from Britain. I only­ want a William final and if it's upset you THAT­ EVEN BETTER. I bet my house if they were white­ Americans you would NOT even bother posting here. THE­ THINGS THAT move RACIST.

    From , on Tue 30 Jun 11:41PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Dinara, is world number 1, so why are all you racist so­ worried about? Dinara, chokes all the time she not as­ good as the Williams but racist are not reasonable­ individuals. So I am sorry apartheid makers you racist­ Brits are going to see two gorgeous African American in­ the final once more I bet the British wish they had­ they apartheid in South Africa once more and no African­ would compete. That the way of the British, racist to­ the core of their bones. In life the best wins, if­ Dinara is the best she should have no problem beating­ Venus, after all she is world number one??? I predict­ Venus to be in the final but I am a reasonable person,­ and can see things without judging people by their skin­ color. I bet if the Williams sisters were white­ Americans they would be so great for the sport of­ tennis and so welcomed.

    From , on Tue 30 Jun 11:31PM

  14. Well KanatA I hope so but to be realistic all Williams­ final is almost unavoidable. But Go Dinara, don't­ care about number one too much Just do it Girl! Just­ Try it

    From Dony, on Tue 30 Jun 11:28PM

  15. well done Dinara

    :Lets hope to see both charming­ RUSSIAN GIRLS in the Ladies Singles Final saturday
    they­ bring their smiles to light up the courts

    From ace.firstserve, on Tue 30 Jun 8:42PM

  16. for SALE ~~ new unused Diamond engagement ring +­ unused GOLD wedding band
    For sale cash only ~~ or­ would exchange for a GUN

    From ace.firstserve, on Tue 30 Jun 8:40PM

  17. Well done Dinara; great comeback again!
    I think if the­ service improves, we could see a shock in the Semis!

    From cameron w, on Tue 30 Jun 6:52PM

  18. Safina-Dementieva final all the way? The Williams are­ the history and boring.

    From KanatA, on Tue 30 Jun 6:20PM

  19. Venus will thrush her, she does'nt look like she­ number one at allby the way she played Lisiski.

    From chipomare, on Tue 30 Jun 5:23PM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    THARS THON BYE OOT A BOTMON AT NAMBAR 5.

    From Donney, on Tue 30 Jun 4:40PM
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