Sabine Lisicki might be allergic to the grass, but she can sure play on it. It is hard to know what it is exactly, but there is something about the lawn that brings her to life.
It is almost like the German is on a timer. She ticks along, and once it turns Wimbledon o’clock, she awakens. The Wimbledon fortnight is more than all whites, strawberries, and cream. It is two weeks where we see the best of Lisicki.
Despite the SW19 stories that the German will proudly look back on once she retires, there is one giant thing that is missing: A Wimbledon title.
Lisicki has beaten the best, captured the crowd, and even made the final. Yet she has failed to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish.
It is hard to imagine the 25 -year-old not going all the way at least once, right? Well, maybe 2015 will finally be her year.
2009 was the first year Lisicki made an impact at Wimbledon, and since then she has made at least the last eight.
In that breakthrough tournament six years ago, Lisicki defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova and Caroline Wozniacki on her way to the quarterfinals where her run would eventually be ended by top seed Dinara Safina.
After missing the 2010 edition due to injury, “Boom Boom Bine” returned to SW19 with an agenda. Her ranking had plummeted due to the ankle injury that threatened her career and, now on her best surface, Lisicki was keen to get her ranking back.
After winning her second career title in Birmingham, Lisicki went to Wimbledon on a mission. She defeated French Open champion Li Na 8-6 in the final set, before beating former finalist Marion Bartoli to make her first semifinal.
She would lose to Maria Sharapova in straight sets despite leading 3-0 in the opener, but the German had once again shown her ability on the grass.
The following year, Lisicki would extract her revenge on Sharapova by defeating the top seed 6-4, 6-3. Unfortunately she could not capitalise on that effort, losing in the quarterfinal to compatriot Angelique Kerber.
Quickly coming known as Wimbledon, Lisicki would make her biggest mark on the tournament in 2013.
The biggest of all her scalps was claimed in round four where she dramatically beat Serena Williams in three sets, shocking the tennis world.
The world #1 was a huge favourite for the tournament, and despite being down in the third set Lisicki bounced back to win in three sets.
After a straight sets victory over Kaia Kanepi and a dramatic three sets victory over Agnieszka Radwanska–which finished 9-7 in the third–Sabine found herself in her first Wimbledon final.
Her opponent was former finalist Marion Bartoli who had quietly come through an open draw. The Frenchwoman was un-favoured and unfancied heading in to finals weekend.
Many people already had Lisicki’s name on the trophy, it seemed like it was her destiny. After all, she had beaten last year’s finalists Serena and Radwanska, surely nothing could stop her, let alone a player that Lisicki had a great record against prior to the match right?….. Wrong.
A ruthless Bartoli laid the hammer down on a flat Lisicki who was overcome by the occasion. The tears streaming down the German’s face were symbolic of her hopes being washed away.
The woman who had captivated an entire country with her run to the final saw her greatest opportunity collapse in straight sets at the last hurdle.
Lisicki won many fans that fortnight, fans that expected her to maybe go one further in 2014. This time it was not a ruthless Frenchwoman that stopped her, it was a mix of injury and Simona Halep that sent those hopes tumbling at the quarterfinal stage.
Now fit and raring to go, the Sabine machine has awoken. There is little doubt that Lisicki will make a big impact and Wimbledon whether it would be in a good way or bad way. As every year she is amongst the outside favourites to take home the trophy, but there is still that lingering doubt.
She has got the game. The big serve, the heavy ground strokes and the movement all suit the grass, but it is whether she keep on mind and emotions in check that will determine if she can go all the way.
So, what do we expect from Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon? This writer expects the usual big play for the German and yet another deep run. I question whether she can go all the way, especially with the likes of Serena and Petra Kvitova in the draw, but as usual it is possible. Stranger things have happened after all.
One thing is for certain, Lisicki will put allergies aside when she is alive and swinging at Wimbledon…. Again.
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