Wimbledon 2011 Results: Sabine Lisicki Upsets No. 9 Marion Bartoli

Match results from Day 8 of Wimbledon 2011, where rain has halted play everywhere but the enclosed Centre Court.

The first Ladies’ Singles quarterfinal of Wimbledon 2011 was a thriller, and ended with wild card Sabine Lisicki defefeating No. 9 Marion Bartoli 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-1 to become the first German woman in the semifinals of a grand slam since Steffi Graf in 1999.

With Lisicki’s title in Birmingham and Bartoli’s in Eastbourne, both players began the match with perfect 9-0 records on grass this year.

With thunder and rain noisily beating down on the closed roof over Centre Court, Lisicki took early command of the match. Lisicki broke midway through the first set and held onto her serve in the late stages, taking the first set 6-4 in forty-three minutes.

Lisicki still appeared to be in control in the second frame, effectively moving the slower Bartoli around the court with several lobs and drop shots, eventually breaking Bartoli at 4-4 to give herself a chance to serve for the semifinals.

But Bartoli saved three match points at 4-5 in the second set, including one on a 22-shot rally that ended with a Lisicki dropshot falling into the net. Bartoli only won one point on her serve in the following tiebreak, but Lisicki didn’t win a single one on hers, giving the Frenchwoman the breaker 7-4 and new life in the third.

But Bartoli had run out of gas by the final set. She no longer had the energy to fill the time between points with her signature bouncing and shadow swings, and even found chairs to sit in between games when there wasn’t a changeover.

The fresher, fitter Lisicki took advantage, storming through the third set 6-1 to make the semifinals of a grand slam for the first time. She will face the winner of the second quarterfinal, which is between No. 5 Maria Sharapova and No. 24 Dominika Cibulkova.

Though it ended with a whimper, this has been an incredible stretch for Bartoli. Making the semifinals of the French Open, winning Eastbourne, and making the quarterfinals of Wimbledon is a run that most every player would be envious of, and she should definitely be considered one of the players to watch as the tour shifts to North America.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for more results from Day 8 of Wimbledon 2011. Get live scores at the tournament’s official website, and watch matches online for free on ESPN3.