Dinara Safina kept her hopes of a maiden Grand Slam title alive with a three-set win over Sabine Lisicki on Tuesday.
World number one sets up semi-final clash with Venus Williams
Top seed Dinara Safina kept her hopes of a maiden Grand Slam title alive as she fought back to beat Wimbledon surprise package Sabine Lisicki.
The world number one came from a set down to triumph 6-7 (5/7) 6-4 6-1 and set up a semi-final meeting with defending champion Venus Williams.
Some poor serving, particularly in the first set, threatened to undermine her efforts, but Safina dug in to end the hopes of the German teenager.
"My service today, I think I was Santa Claus serving so many double faults,'' admitted Safina, who ended the match with 15 double faults.
"On the practice court I don't serve a single double fault.
"The serve is there, I just have to put the brain there. I know what I have to do, I'm just not doing it."
Looking ahead, she added: "It's not going to be easy against Venus on grass but I have nothing to lose. I want to go out there and enjoy it and show my best tennis.
Heat
"I'm happy that I'm in the semis, I was tough mentally and I think that was the key today.''
Three double faults in the third game of the match from Safina handed Lisicki the first break of serve and the Russian then missed a chance in the following game to hit straight back.
Lisicki served for the set at 5-4 but Safina turned up the heat with some strong, pressurising strokes.
A tie-break ensued. In it Lisicki grabbed the first mini-break and looked in control when she ripped a forehand cross-court winner past her opponent.
However, on the second of her three set points, Lisicki put a shocking forehand wide when virtually anywhere in court would have won the point.
That got the breaker back on serve, but having done the hard work another Safina double fault handed Lisicki the set. It was Safina's seventh double in all and left her in a hole.
She showed her frustration by slamming her racquet into the turf, picking up a an official warning from the umpire in the process.
Lisicki looked rock solid at the start of the second set, winning her first three service games to love as Safina struggled to find a route back.
However, serving at 3-3 things went badly wrong. This time Safina benefited from a double fault to lead 4-3.
Slip
Lisicki did get a chance to break back as Safina served for the set but an untimely slip cost her dearly.
Moments later Safina, having successfully challenged a line call which would have seen Lisicki level at 5-5, claimed the set.
Lisicki had beaten seeds Svetlana Kuznetsova and Caroline Wozniacki in the two previous rounds, but a third set against the top seed proved too much for her.
From 1-1, Safina ran away with the decider.
Lisicki needed treatment on a right calf injury towards the end but by then the damage had been done and the Russian was left to celebrate a hard-fought victory.
World number 41 Lisicki was left to reflect on being one of the stars of the tournament.
"I had a great tournament," was her verdict. "I think nobody expected it to happen, including myself.
"Of course I'm sad that I lost today, but I gave it all that I had and fought hard. She was more experienced than me and had already been in the second week of a grand slam already, so she knew how to deal with it.
"I knew it would be a tough match, I just went out there to fight. I gave it all I had but she was physically fitter than me today.''
