Sabine Lisicki dumps Yaroslava Shvedova in the third round – Family Circle Cup 2012
Sixth seed, Sabine Lisicki of Germany, prevailed over Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan in straight sets 7-5, 6-4 to reach the last eight at the Family Circle in Charleston, USA on Thursday.
It took the German an hour and 27 minutes to rout the qualifier in the third round contest.
Shvedova drew the first blood, hitting a blow to her higher ranked opponent in the very first game of the match and consolidating on it to snatch a 2-0 lead. However, Lisicki did not take much time to level the score at 3-3 and
then further stretched her lead to 5-3. Now, it was the Kazakh’s turn to bounce back, squaring off the score at 5-5. Finally, it was Lisicki, who ended the back and forth affair, claiming a couple of games to win the first set 7-5.
The German had a low first serve percentage, as she kept it at 50 but the 5ft 10in tall had a brilliant conversion rate, claiming 15 of the 19 points on them. Lisicki also hit three aces on the first deliveries but the second ones
were not up to the mark. She committed four double faults and won just six of the 19 points on them in the opener.
Lisicki and Shvedova swapped a couple of breaks in the first eight games of the second set and squared off the score at 4-4. The German captured two in a row after that, sealing it 6-4.
Ranked 13th in the world, Lisicki banged in three aces and 79 percent of the first serves, pocketing 17 of the 27 points on them. The German improved her second deliveries, as she claimed three of the seven points on
them and reduced her double fault to one.
Lisicki will lock horns with former world number one, Serena Williams, in the quarterfinals. Williams thrashed Marina Erakovic in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 in the round of 16.
The German was badly beaten by Williams in straight sets 1-6, 2-6 in their meeting at the Bank of the West Classic semi-finals last year.
Commenting on that match, Lisicki said, "It can only get better. I was very nervous there in the beginning. I made some terrible mistakes and over hit way too many balls. In the second set I actually had chances - the games were
close, and it was a good match from mid-second set on. So I hope I can start like that tomorrow."
As Lisicki was beaten in their only previous meeting, the German will try to take her revenge here on Friday.
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