Women’s Final Is Appropriate Conclusion to Illogical Tournament
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Version 0 of 1. WIMBLEDON, England — A pair of unlikely hands will hoist perhaps the most coveted prize in women’s tennis Saturday, when one of the most unpredictable Wimbledon tournaments in memory culminates with a final between No. 15 Marion Bartoli of France and No. 23 Sabine Lisicki of Germany. Before this tournament, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka had combined to win every Grand Slam and premier mandatory event in the previous 15 months, as well as the year-end championships and the Olympic tournament, both won by Williams. But Bartoli and Lisicki withstood a Wimbledon marked by upsets and injuries, and they will face each other in only the second Wimbledon final in the Open era between two women who have never won a Grand Slam title. The previous time was 1998, when Jana Novotna defeated Nathalie Tauziat to win her first major title in her 45th Grand Slam appearance. Bartoli, 28, is competing in her 47th Grand Slam event, which would break Novotna’s record for most appearances before a title. Bartoli briefly hired Novotna as a coach in March, but the partnership lasted only a few weeks because of disagreements about coaching techniques. This is Bartoli’s second Wimbledon final; she lost to Venus Williams, 6-4, 6-1, in 2007. Bartoli used her two-handed forehand and backhand to beat No. 3 seed Jelena Jankovic and top seed Justine Henin in that tournament, but her draw has been far less daunting this year. The highest-ranked player she faced in her first six matches was No. 17 Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals. Bartoli has not lost a set, and she routed No. 20 Kirsten Flipkens, 6-1, 6-2, in the semifinals. In contrast, Lisicki has had an extremely difficult path to the final. Lisicki, 23, opened with a victory over the former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, then beat Elena Vesnina, the champion of the largest Wimbledon warm-up event in Eastbourne, in the second round. Lisicki came from a set down to beat No. 14 Samantha Stosur, the 2011 United States Open champion, in the third round, before shocking top-seeded Serena Williams, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, to make the quarterfinals for the fourth straight time. After beating Kaia Kanepi in the quarterfinals, Lisicki ousted No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals in what may have been the best match of the women’s tournament, winning, 9-7, in the third set. “It’s been a great journey,” Lisicki said. “It hasn’t finished yet. You know, from the start of the tournament I had great matches and good challenges, which prepared me for tomorrow, in my opinion. I think I’m really ready.” Lisicki has won over the British crowd with her near-constant smile and emotional reactions to victories in the last five years, but she has been far more self-confident and feisty off the court this year. With her booming serve, powerful forehand and underrated foot speed, Lisicki has been the oddsmakers’ favorite to win the title since the quarterfinal round, even though she was ranked second lowest among the eight remaining players. Lisicki has won three of her previous four matches against Bartoli. The two have split their previous Wimbledon meetings, with Bartoli winning in the first round in 2008 and Lisicki winning in the 2011 quarterfinals. They have not played since that match, and neither has won a singles title since 2011. “I think, first of all, it will be a battle of nerves and who is able to come up with the best game on that day,” Bartoli said Friday. “Again, as I said, a final of a Grand Slam is always a matter of details. Maybe a point here, a point there will make the difference. Maybe someone who is a bit more gutsy than the other player, someone who is having a better day than the other’s. We are very close in terms of level, I believe. It will be, I’m sure, a pretty good match.” |