Sabine Lisicki retires against Anabel Garrigues in semi-final – Tournament of Champions 2011
German Sabine Lisicki retired against Espanola Anabel Medina Garrigues in the semi final of the Tournament of Champions 2011.
The two challengers took up the gauntlet on indoor hard courts of Bali International Convention Centre in Bali, Indonesia and it took Garrigues two hours and two minutes to score 6-3, 4-6, 4-0 against the third seeded German, who had retired with an injury and withdrew from the match on the 5th of November 2011.
Initiating the first round of the match was Lisicki after she had won her service pitch. However, she got off to a bad start as she was unable to hold her service game. On the other hand, Garrigues had reeled of straight two games, to place herself on the scoreboard at 2-0. In the following two games the players held their serves and the scoreboard had shifted to 3-1.
In the following two games Lisicki made a return with a hold of serve and then by breaking Garrigues to tie the score at three games each by the end of the sixth game. However, the Espanola had taken on her A-game and utilized the break-serve-break method to bag the opening set with a 6-3 victory and go one up in the match.
A reversal of fate had occurred when in the second set the German had reeled straight three games over her adversary by breaking the Espanola twice; once in the first game and then in the third. However, Garrigues tried to make a return by breaking back immediately in the next and then with a hold of serve she reduced the deficit to 2-3 in the fifth game.
At the end of the sixth game the scores had tied at three games each as Lisicki had double faulted and endorsed a crucial break to Garrigues. In subsequent two games, the traded in breaks and the score balanced out at 4-4 at the end of the eighth game.
It was a lucky moment for Lisicki when Garrigues had double faulted on her serve and endorsed a crucial break; she was now only a game away from bagging a set. As she held her serve she smashed a marvellous backhand winner down the line to take the second set.
Both the players had bagged a set apiece at the end of the second set. Opening for the third and decisive set was Garrigues and she bagged a quick service game to initiate the scoreboard at 1-0. As Lisicki served, her forehand shot went wayward and she erred, allowing Garrigues to take a mini lead of 2-0. It was in the third game that Lisicki was making a return on Garrigues’ serve that she hurt her mid back.
Although after the examination she tried to play, she eventually was unable to and had double faulted on her serve and made an emotional exit.
In doing so she threw the gauntlet and Garrigues qualified for the final where she will be facing defending champion Ana Ivanovic.
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