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| WIMBLEDON, England — Marion Bartoli said that being at Wimbledon put a smile on her face. Sabine Lisicki said she fell in love with Wimbledon as child and always dreamed of winning here. | WIMBLEDON, England — Marion Bartoli said that being at Wimbledon put a smile on her face. Sabine Lisicki said she fell in love with Wimbledon as child and always dreamed of winning here. |
| They have played the best tennis of their careers at the All England Club, and on Saturday Bartoli and Lisicki will meet in the Wimbledon final, each trying to win her first Grand Slam title. It will be first time since 1998 that the Wimbledon women’s final will feature two players bidding for a first major championship. | They have played the best tennis of their careers at the All England Club, and on Saturday Bartoli and Lisicki will meet in the Wimbledon final, each trying to win her first Grand Slam title. It will be first time since 1998 that the Wimbledon women’s final will feature two players bidding for a first major championship. |
| Their journeys to the final were quite different. Bartoli, the No. 15 seed, did not have to face a seed higher than No. 17 Sloane Stephens in the half of the draw vacated by No. 2 Victoria Azarenka and No. 3 Maria Sharapova. She has not lost a set in the tournament and easily dispatched No. 20 Kirsten Flipkens, 6-1, 6-2, in 62 minutes in their semifinal Thursday. | Their journeys to the final were quite different. Bartoli, the No. 15 seed, did not have to face a seed higher than No. 17 Sloane Stephens in the half of the draw vacated by No. 2 Victoria Azarenka and No. 3 Maria Sharapova. She has not lost a set in the tournament and easily dispatched No. 20 Kirsten Flipkens, 6-1, 6-2, in 62 minutes in their semifinal Thursday. |
| On her way to the final, the No. 23 seed Lisicki had to knock out the No. 14 seed Sam Stosur, the No. 1 seed Williams and, on Thursday, the No. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska in a 2-hour-19-minute battle, 6-4, 2-6, 9-7. | On her way to the final, the No. 23 seed Lisicki had to knock out the No. 14 seed Sam Stosur, the No. 1 seed Williams and, on Thursday, the No. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska in a 2-hour-19-minute battle, 6-4, 2-6, 9-7. |
| Radwanska won six straight games and broke Lisicki five consecutive times to win the second set and go up by 3-0 in the third. But Lisicki had been in a similar situation against Williams in the fourth round, and she said that success gave her confidence. | Radwanska won six straight games and broke Lisicki five consecutive times to win the second set and go up by 3-0 in the third. But Lisicki had been in a similar situation against Williams in the fourth round, and she said that success gave her confidence. |
| “I just fought with all my heart and I believed that I could still win no matter what the score was,” Lisicki said. | “I just fought with all my heart and I believed that I could still win no matter what the score was,” Lisicki said. |
| She served for the match at 5-4, but was broken. On her fourth break point after that, in the 15th game, Lisicki gained the advantage and served for the match again at 8-7. This time, she held on, closing the match with a forehand winner down the line. | She served for the match at 5-4, but was broken. On her fourth break point after that, in the 15th game, Lisicki gained the advantage and served for the match again at 8-7. This time, she held on, closing the match with a forehand winner down the line. |
| “I had a tough draw, but I think it made me ready for each and every single match,” she said, adding, “I gained so much confidence also in my shots and playing long rallies.” | “I had a tough draw, but I think it made me ready for each and every single match,” she said, adding, “I gained so much confidence also in my shots and playing long rallies.” |
| Radwanska’s disappointment was clear in the brief handshake she gave Lisicki at the end and the speed with which she left the court. | Radwanska’s disappointment was clear in the brief handshake she gave Lisicki at the end and the speed with which she left the court. |
| “When you went that far to the semi, no Serena, Maria, Vika,” said Radwanska, the runner-up here last year, who is still seeking her first major title. | “When you went that far to the semi, no Serena, Maria, Vika,” said Radwanska, the runner-up here last year, who is still seeking her first major title. |
| Lisicki, 23, is the first German to reach the Wimbledon final since Steffi Graf in 1999. Lisicki said Graf sent her a good luck text message before the match. | Lisicki, 23, is the first German to reach the Wimbledon final since Steffi Graf in 1999. Lisicki said Graf sent her a good luck text message before the match. |
| Lisicki will be in a Grand Slam final for the first time, and Bartoli, 28, has not been to a Grand Slam final since she was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2007. | Lisicki will be in a Grand Slam final for the first time, and Bartoli, 28, has not been to a Grand Slam final since she was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2007. |
| It has been a challenging and inconsistent year for Bartoli, as she parted ways with her father as her coach and recently battled various injuries and ailments. Before Thursday, she had not played in a semifinal of a tournament this year. | It has been a challenging and inconsistent year for Bartoli, as she parted ways with her father as her coach and recently battled various injuries and ailments. Before Thursday, she had not played in a semifinal of a tournament this year. |
| But before her match against Flipkens, Bartoli was so relaxed she took a 30-minute nap. When she got to Centre Court, she was in complete control. | But before her match against Flipkens, Bartoli was so relaxed she took a 30-minute nap. When she got to Centre Court, she was in complete control. |
| She broke Flipkens, who was playing her first Grand Slam semifinal, in the second game and never allowed her to get comfortable. | She broke Flipkens, who was playing her first Grand Slam semifinal, in the second game and never allowed her to get comfortable. |
| The crowd was on Flipkens’s side, with her serve-and-volley style and inspiring comeback story. A year ago, Flipkens was ranked No. 262 after missing two months when blood clots were discovered in her legs. She will break into the top 20 after this tournament. | The crowd was on Flipkens’s side, with her serve-and-volley style and inspiring comeback story. A year ago, Flipkens was ranked No. 262 after missing two months when blood clots were discovered in her legs. She will break into the top 20 after this tournament. |
| Bartoli was typically aggressive throughout, standing inside the baseline even when returning first serves. She prevented Flipkens from playing her style of game, often flustering her at the net with perfect lobs. Bartoli ended up the better net player, winning all of her net points. | Bartoli was typically aggressive throughout, standing inside the baseline even when returning first serves. She prevented Flipkens from playing her style of game, often flustering her at the net with perfect lobs. Bartoli ended up the better net player, winning all of her net points. |
| “I had to play, I don’t know, 500 percent, I think to beat Marion today,” said Flipkens, who was also bothered by a knee injury. “She was just too good.” | “I had to play, I don’t know, 500 percent, I think to beat Marion today,” said Flipkens, who was also bothered by a knee injury. “She was just too good.” |
| Bartoli said she was a much better player than she was six years ago, when she lost in the final to Venus Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion. This time, Bartoli will be the more experienced player. | Bartoli said she was a much better player than she was six years ago, when she lost in the final to Venus Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion. This time, Bartoli will be the more experienced player. |
| “The last time I was so young, in a way,” Bartoli said. “I was every time the underdog coming out on the court, which this time it was totally the opposite. I was this time the highest ranked player, and I needed to put out a great performance in order to go through. I think I’ve been able to deal with the pressure really well and keep improving throughout the championships.” | “The last time I was so young, in a way,” Bartoli said. “I was every time the underdog coming out on the court, which this time it was totally the opposite. I was this time the highest ranked player, and I needed to put out a great performance in order to go through. I think I’ve been able to deal with the pressure really well and keep improving throughout the championships.” |
| The final will pit Lisicki’s big-serve game against Bartoli’s aggressive return game. Lisicki is 3-1 against Bartoli, having won the last three matches. But they have not played since Wimbledon in 2011, when the 62nd-ranked Lisicki upset the ninth-ranked Bartoli in the quarterfinals. | The final will pit Lisicki’s big-serve game against Bartoli’s aggressive return game. Lisicki is 3-1 against Bartoli, having won the last three matches. But they have not played since Wimbledon in 2011, when the 62nd-ranked Lisicki upset the ninth-ranked Bartoli in the quarterfinals. |
| On Saturday, one of them will have a chance to achieve a dream deferred. | On Saturday, one of them will have a chance to achieve a dream deferred. |
| “Even if I was having some hard times outside of the court, I was still able to go on the practice court every day and practice hard no matter what was happening in my outside life,” said Bartoli, whose father will watch the final from her box. “And I remember every day I was a tennis player and what I wanted the most was to win matches. Somehow I felt like those kind of attitudes should be rewarded at some point.” | “Even if I was having some hard times outside of the court, I was still able to go on the practice court every day and practice hard no matter what was happening in my outside life,” said Bartoli, whose father will watch the final from her box. “And I remember every day I was a tennis player and what I wanted the most was to win matches. Somehow I felt like those kind of attitudes should be rewarded at some point.” |