	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WIMBLEDON

June 29, 2009

Sabine Lisicki

LONDON, ENGLAND

S. LISICKI/C. Wozniacki
6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Have you even surprised yourself as to how well you played today and this week and last week?
SABINE LISICKI: Overall, yes. I've been surprised how far I got and how well I started to play.
But I think the key was the very first match where I was actually two points away of losing the match and I turn it around. After that I really started to playing better and better and to believe that I can do good.
Yeah, and today I actually went out there and I felt pretty good. Also yesterday and this morning hitting the ball very solid. I think it was a good match.

Q. When you have a serve as big as yours, is it good to know you have that up your sleeve, that you can bring that out on clutch points and win easily with that serve?
SABINE LISICKI: Yes, of course. I mean, today I didn't get broken once. I was down Love-40, and I still got back and I won that game.
So I think, you know, it's very important to have a good serve. I can really rely on my serve.

Q. Are you starting to think maybe you can go all the way now? No reason why not with the last two results.
SABINE LISICKI: You know, for me it's just one match at a time. I was very happy to have beaten Svetlana. I just fought for that match. I was very happy with the result.
Getting into the second week, I just thought, you know, I have nothing to lose now. I'm playing my best tennis so far and I'm very happy, and I think I can still get much better.
You know, I'm looking forward to the next matches.

Q. You're probably the best and most exciting player to come out of Germany since Steffi Graf. Have you had any connection or messages from Steffi?
SABINE LISICKI: Yeah I know Steffi in person. I've met her. She's a really nice person. She's really on the ground. A very kind person. She's a big idol.

Q. Tommy Haas also won. Two Germans in the quarterfinals. What is that going to do for tennis back in Germany?
SABINE LISICKI: I think it's great, you know. Since I won in Charleston, the media attention in Germany was much better. I think it's a great step forward. We're getting more TV coverage from the bigger tournaments again. And, of course, the best way is to get the attention by play well.

Q. I see your favorite book is Lance Armstrong's autobiography. What is it about that book you particularly like?
SABINE LISICKI: The Fighting Spirit.

Q. That's what you use?
SABINE LISICKI: Yes.

Q. Can you develop that a bit more? What particularly touched you?
SABINE LISICKI: You know, I think it's an unbelievable thing to come back -- well, actually get the diagnosis, to get cancer. I think it's a shock for everybody. And, you know, he just fought to get back on track. He wanted to beat the cancer. Then once he beat it he wanted to get back because he loved the sport.
You know, it's very inspiring because he never stopped believing that he can beat the cancer, that he can get back on the bike.

Q. I believe you lost in the first round last year. Was it all a bit overwhelming coming here to play Wimbledon?
SABINE LISICKI: Last year, you know, it was my first time at Wimbledon, my first season on grass actually. So I think I had a lack of experience on grass. I didn't really know what to expect of playing on the grass and how to play actually, you know.
So, you know, but this year I learned a lot. Also I lost the match in Eastbourne, but I kept practicing every day very hard because I wanted to, you know, try my best and just get as far as possible. I just wanted to win my first match.

Q. Do you like it now?
SABINE LISICKI: Yes, I do (laughter).

Q. Boris Becker is here commentating for the BBC. Have you seen him at all?
SABINE LISICKI: No, I haven't. Not yet. Maybe in the next few days.

Q. Other than your serve, what would you consider the best part of your game?
SABINE LISICKI: I think I have a pretty good forehand. I think my strokes, groundstrokes, are getting more and more consistent, which is I think the key to getting up in the rankings.
And the last year, you know, I had those good shots, but I couldn't play consistently. And I think the first time I did that well, it was in Charleston. And I proved to myself that I can actually beat the big players and keep on playing consistent in a tournament.
And I think it's going pretty well now, as well.

Q. Seemed to be an instant where you almost bumped at net at the changeover. What happened there?
SABINE LISICKI: You know, I don't know. We've been changing the sides all the time, you know, the whole match. I was always passing on the left side and she was passing on the right side. So, I don't know. She all of a sudden went to the side I was passing all the time, and we just bumped each other.
But, I mean, there's no big deal for me.

Q. You were a little bit unhappy. You had a quick word with the umpire.
SABINE LISICKI: Me?

Q. Yes.
SABINE LISICKI: No, it was her. She was discussing with him. I was just focusing for the next game.

Q. Where did you grow up and how did you get started in tennis?
SABINE LISICKI: I grew up near Cologne. I started playing tennis when I was about seven and a half years old. Yeah, I started to play twice half an hour a week, then played more and more. I just, you know, enjoyed it. So my dad took me to the courts and he was starting to practice with me.
And when it got a bit more serious I had problems with the school, so we moved to Berlin because we didn't have a sports school where I was living. So that's when we moved to Berlin. It was working quite well.
Then I stopped. I decided to stop to go to school. I finished the mandatory part. I just wanted to go on the road and see what happens.

Q. Can we hear something about your opinion about the play against Wozniacki?
SABINE LISICKI: Well, I've played her now three times on the WTA tournaments, and I think, you know, I proved myself that I can beat higher-ranked players. I really went into the match and wanting to win.
I knew it's going to be a tough match because she won Eastbourne, so she proved that she can play on grass. So I was expecting a very tough match. I went out to there to fight and I was very focused.
But I think we will have good matches in the future, as well.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297