Safina snatches semi spot with battling comeback to dump out Lisicki
Date published :
01 Jul 2009 - 01:22:03
Ask any one of the 40,000 spectators who pass through the All England Club gates today to tell you something about Dinara Safina and chances are they will say she is the younger sister of Marat Safin.
If they were paying attention yesterday as the heat sapped energyand melted brains, they might even remember she progressed to her first Wimbledon semi-final with a grinding 6-7, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Germanteenager Sabine Lisicki.
Her standing as the world No 1 will surely have passed them by,however. Never can the supposed best player in women's tennis have beenso anonymous, especially when she appears to be lurching through a Grand Slam in comparison to her rivals.
The Williams sisters and Elena Dementieva have each spent less than six hours on court during the Championships.
Safina, shunted to the outside courts for the entire first week, hastaken almost eight-and-a-half hours to win her five matches.
Making a fist of it: Dinara Safina makes her point
Monday's turgid victory over fading former champion AmelieMauresmo became memorable only when the Centre Court roof was closedfor the first time. Yesterday's win over a gallant but stage-struck Lisicki was mind-numbing, full stop.
Fight: Sabine Lisicki
Unforced errors out numbered winners by 80 to 56. Too often points were given away,rather than won. Safina alone served 15 double-faults.
The moments which typified the malaise came at the end of a dreadful first setwhich drifted on for 58 minutes.
Lisicki served for the set at 5-4 only to dish up half-court fodder which even a misfiring Safina could not waste. Gifted a 6-3 lead in the tie-break by Safina's waywardness, the unseeded Lisicki pushed a forehand at the net wide when the whole court beckoned. She needed help.
Safina supplied it with a double-fault togift her opponent the set.
You fear for a women's game thathas lost its lustre in recent years with the retirement of such diversetalents as Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, JenniferCapriati, Anastasia Myskina and Kim Clijsters (who, thankfully, ismaking a comeback later this summer).
Grand Slam championsall, which is an accolade Safina has yet to add to her resume. If herperformances in the last two rounds can be taken as form guides, thatstatus will not be altered this weekend.
Venus Williams awaits theworld No 1 in tomorrow's semi-final. Seven Grand Slams, including fiveat Wimbledon, to none.
As she did on court when it seemed that Lisicki might slip away witha surprise victory, the 23-year-old Russian was at least prepared toscrap her corner in her post-match interview.
Safina said: 'I have been in the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams now, so I think that's something impressive. I guess now people can't ask why I'm No 1without having a Grand Slam title. It's a 50-50 match against Venusbecause I know how to beat her. If I play my best and she plays herbest, she's not the favourite. I think I still have a chance.'
If her tennis is of the bludgeoning groundstroke variety, Safina's improved mobility she is a stone lighter than last year is able to keep pace with opponents who include guile and disguise in their repertoires.
The family temper is also in there, as well as the ability to exaggerate to comic effect.
She incurred a warning after jamming her racket into the hallowed Centre Court turf, while her assessment of her serving woes was altogether more endearing.
She added: 'I was Santa Claus on the court today. It's just that my brain sometimes doesn't do the things that I have to do, otherwise I would not serve 250 double-faults.'
Entertaining off court, but sadly not on it.
WIMBLEDON 2009: Tweet moment for Serena as Williams sisters cruise into semis WIMBLEDON 2009: Russian to victory - Dementieva speeds into semis past Schiavone Dinara Safina v Sabine Lisicki - all the action as it happened Dinara Safina tops rankings but who really is the world's top female player?
