Sharapova to lose top ranking after shock defeat

DPA/London

Germany’s Sabine Lisicki plays a shot during her fourth round women’s singles victory over Russia’s Maria Sharapova on day seven of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships yesterday

Maria Sharapova’s latest return to the WTA top ranking will be a short one after the Russian went out of Wimbedon 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth-round to German Sabine Lisicki on a soggy, depressing start to the concluding week yesterday. The Russian, who only regained number one after she won her fourth Grand Slam, the French Open, three weeks ago, will be replaced by either number two Victoria Azarenka or number three Pole Agnieszka Radwanska, both of whom reached the quarter-finals. Azarenka crushed former number one and French Open winner Ana Ivanovic, allowing the Serb only one game, while Radwanska was only slightly more tested as she beat Italian Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-3. With a few grim days of forecasts looming, tournament officials began cancelling matches before noon, doing away with junior doubles first and in late afternoon wiping out the men’s main draw (David Ferrer v Juan Del Potro and Brian Baker v Philipp Kohlschreiber) as well as doubles and mixed. Lisicki turned the women’s draw on its head with her upset, a first victory in four tries against Sharapova. “That’s my game, to serve well and be aggressive.  That’s what I did.  I think it worked well,” said the 15th seed, a 2011 semi-finalist. “I felt great. “As soon as I stepped on the court I also felt like I’m playing very well, so, you know, I was feeling very confident even though I lost the first game. I just missed a couple of points here and there, but overall I just felt very good and confident.” Lisicki, 22, held her nerve as Sharapova saved two match points. But the German who hates grass due to allergies threw down a second-serve ace on her third winning chance to dump the top seed in just under 90 minutes with eight aces, 18 winners and four breaks of serve. Sharapova, 2004 Wimbledon winner as a teenager, said her opponent “did many things much better than I did, I could have done things differently today.” Holder Petra Kvitova, seeded fourth, beat 2010 French Open winner Francesca Schiavone 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in a match which played in a drizzle, a decision which did not please Schiavone and caused some slippery conditions. “The grass was a little bit humid so it was dangerous,” said Kvitova. “But I was ready to play and to continue because I knew that I had a chance. For her was tougher because she needs to move more than I do. “When I slid on the grass it seemed more quicker than normal. It’s going much better for me than at the beginning of the tournament. I’m not thinking about the pressure. Every match I played I was favourite but I don’t think about that too much.” Sixth-seeded four-time champion Serena Williams spoiled it for tournament golden girl Yaroslava Shvedova, who lost 6-1, 2-6, 7-5 to the American 48 hours after producing only the second golden set (24 straight points) ever recorded in the game. Lisicki’s win set up an all-German quarter-final with number eight Angelique Kerber, who crushed Kim Clijsters 6-1, 6-1 as the 29-year-old Belgian bowed out of Wimbledon for the last time before retirement in the autumn. Austrian Tamira Paszek duplicated her 2011 quarter-final at the All England club as she put out Italian Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-2. In men’s play, six-time champion Roger Federer, was treated for back problems but outlasted Xavier Malisse 7-6 (7-1), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the last eight for an incredible 33rd straight time at a Grand Slam. The Swiss left the court for an eight-minute injury treatment on the back, then proceeded to defeat his longtime rival and fellow over-30 without hesitation. “I thought it was extremely difficult for Xavier. I did apologise to him after the match just for the first set. I know how hard it is playing somebody that is injured.” The Swiss will line up against Mikhail Youzhny, who got past Denis Istomin 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5. Federer owns wins in all 14 of their matches, including Wimbledon last year and Halle on grass last month. Defending champion Novak Djokovic played under the roof and  crushed London Olympic doubles partner Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.