BIRMINGHAM, England — A day after hitting a WTA Tour-record 27 aces, Sabine Lisicki produced another powerful performance which carried her into the Aegon Classic quarterfinals on Thursday and a chance to regain the title.
The U.S.-based German delivered a battery of heavy groundstrokes and more unstoppable serves in beating 2009 champion Magdalena Rybarikova 7-6 (7), 6-4.
Lisicki has always wanted to make up for her intense disappointment in losing the 2013 Wimbledon final for which she was the favorite, and her form suggests she may be capable of it.
Although she lost a 4-2 first-set lead and did not convert three set points in the 12th game, she boldly saved three set points in the tiebreaker before closing it out, and was soon a break of serve up in the second.