Sabine Lisicki returns to 2012 ASB Classic in Auckland – Tennis News
World No.18, Sabine Lisicki, will feature in the ASB Classic tournament next year. The tournament will be contested at the ASB Tennis Centre in Auckland, New Zealand from January 2-7 in 2012.
22-year-old German is one of the most prolific performers this year. She started at World No.175 this year and climbed her way up to World No.18 this month. She stunned everyone with her outstanding performance in Wimbledon this
year and defeated some of the most elite names in the field of tennis including Li Na (in round of 64) and Marion Bartoli (in quarter-final). She lost to World No.4, Maria Sharapova, in the semi-finals but her outrageous run throughout the tournament brought
her in the limelight and helped her ascend several ranks.
She advanced into the fourth round of US Open having defeated Venus Williams on her way. She has also defeated Samantha Stosur in Bank of the West Classic – Stanford tournament in July earlier this year. Her list of elite victims
at tennis courts grew rapidly in 2011 and now she is one of the most re-known players in the women tennis circuit.
German’s Auckland visit this year was very successful as well. She came all the way from qualifying round of 32 players and cruised her way into the last sixteen but couldn’t make it through and lost to World No.25, Yanina Wickmayer
in a close three-setter. She participated in Auckland in 2008 as well but couldn’t impress with her performance on that tour.
Tournament director, Richard Palmer, was extremely delighted on her third appearance in the tournament and while talking to the media representatives, he said, “Sabine is a very likable young woman and was a delight to have here.
She has always shown exceptional promise and has been one of the biggest movers on the WTA circuit this year as she begins to fulfil her promise. Hopefully fans will get to see her at her best and witness her big serve.”
Her astonishing fast serves at a rate of 200km/h have been the most eye-startling feature of her game play. Her father, Richard, has been coaching her since her childhood and quoted that Lisicki’s ground strokes and fierce serve
will one day help her climb up to the top spot. Her partnership with Stosur in doubles has reaped them fruitful returns for them this year.
She has been compared to her legendary compatriot, Steffi Graf, and is expected to revive the lost regime for Germans in the field of tennis.
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