Maria Sharapova (Landov)
ECSTASY AND AGONY: Sabine Lisicki exults after her stunning upset over top-seeded Maria Sharapova yesterday at Wimbledon. (Reuters)
WIMBLEDON, England — All at once, there was a frenzy of activity at a wet and windy All England Club early yesterday.
Top-seeded and 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova, a big hitter in her own right, was overpowered in a 6-4, 6-3 loss to No. 15 Sabine Lisicki. And over on Centre Court, there was the not-so-insignificant matter of 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer’s medical timeout to get treatment for his aching back.
The start of Week 2 at Wimbledon has been dubbed “Manic Monday,” because it’s the only major tournament that schedules all 16 fourth-round singles matches on one day.
It lived up to that moniker this year, even if rain prevented five of the eight men’s matches from finishing.
The most newsworthy result was the abrupt end of Sharapova’s bid to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2002 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Less than a month after completing a career Grand Slam in Paris to return to No. 1, Sharapova bowed out against someone she had beaten the three other times they met, and will be replaced atop the rankings next week.
“Nothing is easy. Certainly not a Wimbledon title,” Sharapova said. “So I don’t know if it’s easier or tougher now than it was years ago, but I don’t think it’s ever easier.”
Federer, seeking a seventh trophy at the grass-court Grand Slam, beat Xavier Malisse 7-6 (1), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to reach a 33rd consecutive major quarterfinal, adding to his record. After the seventh game, Federer got help from a trainer for his back. When he returned, his play didn’t appear to suffer all that much, other than slower-than-usual serves. On the other hand, Federer capped the match with a 122 mph ace.
“Honestly, I’m not too worried. I’ve had bad backs over the years. I’ve been around,” he said.
Federer now faces No. 26 Mikhail Youzhny, a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-5 winner over Denis Istomin. Federer is 13-0 against Youzhny, who chose to look on the bright side, saying: “I have one more chance.”
Yaroslava Shvedova gave Williams all she could handle over the last two sets before losing 6-1, 2-6, 7-5.
“Whatever her name is, her feet were moving very well,” said Richard Williams, Serena’s father. “Serena’s feet weren’t moving.”