DPA/London


Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska will take the lessons learned as a 2012 Wimbledon women’s finalist into today’s semi-final against Sabine Lisicki, another players who relies on previous top-level experience on the grass.
The second semi features 2007 finalist Marion Bartoli, seeded 15th, playing Belgian outsider Kristen Flipkens. Whatever the case, there will be a new women’s champion at this year’s edition. Radwanska said that her loss 12 months ago to Serena Williams gave her experience which she hopes to put to use in her bid for a second final as she takes a 1-1 record into the contest with Lisicki, a 2011 semi-finalist at the All England club.
“The biggest pressure for me is in the first week,” said Radwanska. “I think the quarter-finals are a minimum target, especially when you are seeded. Now I’m just more relaxed: I think semi-final, it’s already a great result.
“Being in a grand slam final is very good experience. I know how it is, what I have to do to be in the final again. It helps, for sure, that it’s not the first time.
Lisicki made her first semi-final a year after an ankle injury in spring, 2010, which took five months to heal due to botched treatment by American doctors for what should have been a six-week episode.
The German has made friends with her beaming smile alone, and could not help but let her emotions run free after knocking out Williams in the fourth round before dispatching Kaia Kanepi.
“I know how it is to be in the semis, it’s a different atmosphere.  Everything is starting to get empty in the locker room. I’m glad I’ve had that experience before. But I feel much fresher, fitter, better than two years ago.” Lisicki, 23, appreciates every moment of her current run after begin forced to re-learn to walk after her ankle problem. “That made me appreciate every single moment out there a lot more. I don’t let anybody take that away from me.
“Being on crutches, you can’t carry anything, you need the help of somebody else. To come back on the court to compete and then to go even further than I did before the injury gives you a lot of strength.
“It’s a different feeling when I’m out there now.”
Bartoli’s grass form only started to come good at Wimbledon after withdrawing from tune-up events in Birmingham and Eastbourne. “But I was still in the back of my head thinking I could do well in here.  When I’m back at Wimbledon I have a smile on my face.
“Tennis is kind of a crazy game, and now I am playing Kirsten Flipkens to be in the final of Wimbledon.  So it’s also very unexpected, but that’s also the magic of it.”
Flipkens, ranked 20th, has never gone so far at a major and remains amazed at what she has done after putting out 2011 winner Petra Kvitova. Support from retired Kim Clijsters in the US is also helping her confidence.
The Belgian has her own story to tell after missing two months in spring, 2012, as she was diagnosed with serious blood clots in her legs after a flight from Asia. Her ranking dropped to 262 and recovery gave her a more balanced take of life and tennis.
“Maybe I start to know what’s important in life,” said the bespectacled player. “I think winning or losing a tennis match doesn’t make a big difference. I mean, if you lose, you have a next tournament next week, so ... I just start to see things in perspective.”
Flipkens called herself “the most surprising name in the last four, but I don’t really care, to be honest, at this moment.
“I’m really satisfied with the last two weeks.  I cannot tell you in words how happy I am. I don’t really care who the other three are. I’m just playing match by match. It worked the last 10 days, so I’ll keep on doing it.”