Maria Sharapova, seeking back-to-back Grand Slam championships, was eliminated from Wimbledon on Monday, losing 6-4, 6-3 to No. 15-seeded Sabine Lisicki in a match played in windy, rainy conditions.
Sharapova, the No. 1 seed who took the French Open title last month for her fourth Grand Slam, was outplayed by Lisicki, a German who won the 2004 Wimbledon title.
After blasting an ace down the middle on her third match point, Lisicki collapsed to her knees on the grass and shook both fists. Among those cheering for Lisicki in the guest box was German NBA star Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.
“It’s just unbelievable,” Lisicki said. “For the third time I’ve beaten the French Open champion here. I’m just so happy. I’ve lost the three previous meetings against her. Now I just played well and beat her for the first time.”
Sharapova was trying to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2002 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. But Lisicki was better.
“I just went for my shots. Really from the first point on I felt great out there,” Lisicki said. “It’s my favorite tournament, I love playing on grass, I love the crowd here. I just love it.”
Lisicki will next face fellow German and No. 8 Angelique Kerber, who drubbed Kim Clijsters 6-1, 6-1. Clijester, the 47th-ranked Belgian, has said she is retiring after this year’s U.S. Open – this time for good, having returned to the sport in 2009 after a two-year break.
