Sabine Lisicki Takes On Caroline Wozniacki in a Battle of WTA Rising Stars

The WTA continues its quest to find that talented and inspired player destined to be the next No. 1.  No one quite knows the fate of the chronically injured Maria Sharapova or the tournament readiness of Serena Williams who fails to sustain her game often because of fitness or injury. 

The Serbs seem to be missing in action as Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic scramble to stay relevant in 2009.  Current No. 1 Dinara Safina remains at the top on borrowed time, hoping the clay court season will revive her sinking results.

Then there are the rising stars coming on hot and heavy as they head toward the European clay court season.  Who among these contenders will rise to the top of women’s rankings?  Here is a clue...

Sunday most of the tennis world was transfixed over the tightly fought contest in Monte Carlo where No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal and No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic were patently painting lines with blistering serves, backhands, forehands and well-placed and well-timed lobs.  They offered up thrilling fare for a set and a half.

In their reverie over the match, tennis fans may have missed the battle waged between two striking teenagers fighting for the Family Circle Cup Championship on the green clay of Charleston later that same day.

Nineteen-year old Sabine Lisicki and 18-year-old Caroline Wozniacki were crushing the ball with such pace and depth that their rallies became a contest of endurance and resilience, often rating superlatives from the ESPN commentators.

Lisicki regularly served the ball in excess of 120 miles per hour, catapulting 9 aces past Wozniacki on her way to a well-earned victory. 

Earlier in the week Lisicki had dispatched No. 2 seed Venus Williams in the third round. 

That upset certainly drew the attention of the tennis world.  Serena Williams, the defending champion, was not playing because of injuries and most expected Venus to survive to the finals based upon her early season success.  She was the No. 2 seed.

But Lisicki played her tight, matching Venus big serve for big serve and aggressive hitting from the baseline stroke for stroke.

German-born Sabine Lisicki is currently ranked No. 43 in the world. That ranking, based on her play this past week should rise steadily. 

She turned pro three years ago.  Currently she calls Bradenton, FLA home where she attends Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy.  Her father Richard is her coach. 

In 2007 she climbed from a ranking of 497 to No. 198.  In 2008 the tennis world got an inkling of her promise when she upset No. 16 seed Dinara Safina in the second round at Lisicki’s first grand slam tournament—the 2008 Australian Open.  

She also upset Lindsay Davenport in the first round of the Fed Cup when Germany faced the United States.

At the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open, Sabine reached the fourth round by upsetting the No. 6 seed Anna Chakvetadze but was taken out in the next round by Elena Dementieva. 

Lisicki reached her first WTA final at the Tashkent Open in October.  She lost, 6-4, 7-6, to Sorana Cirstea of Romania.

Her victory over Caroline Wozniacki on Sunday was her first WTA singles title and she won it without dropping a set.  No. 16 seed Sabine overpowered her opponents all week, coming at them with such intensity that they could not withstand or defend against her constant attack.

Her opponent, Caroline Wozniacki, also had an amazing run on the green clay at Charleston.  Seeded fifth at this tournament she met and defeated Shuai Peng, 6-3, 6-4, in the third round, setting up a quarterfinal match with Virginia Razzano No. 13 seed.  Razzano ended up retiring at the start of their match, sending Caroline to the semifinal.

Wozniacki met and struggled against the No. 1 seed Elena Dementieva during the semifinals, finally overcoming her, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, in a match that lasted almost three hours. 

Lisicki, in the meantime, buzzed through Marion Bartoli, 6-3, 6-1, to reach the finals of the Family Circle Cup where she would meet her childhood friend, Caroline Wozniacki, defeating her by a 6-2, 6-4 margin.

Lisicki became the first player in the tournament’s history to win the title without having another tournament win.  She won $188,000 and a crystal cup as the champion of the Family Circle Cup. 

She suffered some nerves trying to close out the match.  Caroline saved five match points but Lisicki’s serve saved her as she delivered three serves in excess of 120 miles per hour, helping her secure her win.

When she won she jumped up and then fell down, covering herself with the green clay. 

Wozniacki did not plead tiredness due to her match with Dementieva as a defense against her loss.  She simply stated that she had played a great many matches in the past few weeks and that winning at Ponte Vedra Beach and making the finals in Charleston was a great result and she was pleased with her play.

She also stated that Sabine was hard to beat when her serves were on the mark—as they had been all week. 

At the end of the week, the two blond teenagers stood alone to face each other in the championship match.  They are the face of the women’s game of the future, which may be closer than we all realize. 

With the emergence of all these new young players who are making their mark early in the season, the mystery surrounding the player who will claim a permanent hold on the No. 1 ranking intensifies.