TENNIS WIMBLEDON 2014 – 1st of July. S. Lisicki d. Y Shvedova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. An interview with Sabine Lisicki
Q. You had some trouble during that match; called a medical timeout at breakpoint. Talk us through that period of time.
SABINE LISICKI: Yeah, the timing was very unfortunate. I hit a ball before, and it just went into my back. I tried to keep going. I played a few points but I wasn’t able to lift my arm.
I mean, it was obvious. I was serving, what, 50 miles an hour or something. I don’t remember if I ever served that slow in my life before.
So, yeah, that’s why I had to call the trainer. I just couldn’t lift my arm anymore.
Q. Darren Cahill has said if you call a medical timeout in the middle of a game you should forfeit that game.
SABINE LISICKI: What does that mean?
Q. You should give it up, not be able to win that game. Curious timing to take a medical timeout. Do you think there was any way you could finish the game before you took your medical timeout?
SABINE LISICKI: No. As I said before, the timing was very unfortunate. But I tried to play a few more points. That’s what I did. I played already a few more points.
But the game was going back and forth the whole time. I called it before already, for the trainer, and then I played a few more points and I just wasn’t able to.
I think you know how I serve. That was not nearly, you know, what I could do. I just couldn’t lift my arm, so I had to do it.
Q. How is the arm now?
SABINE LISICKI: I have to go and do some treatment afterwards. I hope that it’s only blocked, but I don’t know. It’s from the thoracic spine, I think. We’ll see what the physios can do.
Q. She didn’t want to initially come to her chair. She looked a little curious why on breakpoint the medical timeout occurred. Did she say anything to you or did you say, Sorry, I have to take the timeout?
SABINE LISICKI: No. I have a huge respect for her. We played a tight match before. You know, I feel lucky that I got away with it, with serving 60 miles an hour serves. I think it was very visible that, you know, I just couldn’t do differently.
I was trying to get help. As I said before, I tried it for a few points already. I called the trainer before. So that’s how it ended up being.
Q. You served 20 double faults. Was it a problem throughout the whole match, would you say? So for the second set there was some erratic serving. Was it then that the shoulder was hurting, or was that different to the injury?
SABINE LISICKI: No, it happened in that game. It was one shot that I hit that just went into it. That’s when I couldn’t lift my arm.
So before I felt something was wrong, as I said, hoping that it’s blocked, only blocked. But, you know, it was in that particular game where it went quite down.
Q. Are you going to be all right for tomorrow?
SABINE LISICKI: I hope so. I’ll do everything I can.
Q. Last year was very close. Any sort of sense of wanting to amend that and finally go all the way?
SABINE LISICKI: Yeah, I think that also helped me today, to be honest, to just push it through. I was fighting with all my heart. I couldn’t really serve. I was just digging in there, fighting for every single point.
You know, I love this place so much. The crowd gave me such a big support again. I think that really helps in those moments.
Q. You said the serve was a problem irrespective of the injury. Is that something you’ll have to work on? Twenty double faults.
SABINE LISICKI: I think that’s the first time in my life that happened.
Q. Usually it’s such a potent weapon.
SABINE LISICKI: Exactly. So you saw that yesterday.
As I said before, I’ll go to see the doctors and physiotherapists and hope they’ll be able to do some miracles for tomorrow’s match.
Q. Obviously you were in a lot of pain, and your explanation is completely legitimate. What would you say to people who would say it was a tactical timeout? You were about to lose the game.
SABINE LISICKI: Well, I cannot change their opinion. I just know honest to myself that that hasn’t been the case because I really tried to play several more points. That’s what I tried.
As I said, I have a big respect for my opponent. It’s the first time that I had to do it ever. That’s the only thing I can say.
Q. What do you think we’ll see first: a German singles champion at Wimbledon or Germany winning the football World Cup?
SABINE LISICKI: Why not both at the same year? Wouldn’t that be good?
