“An unbelievable experience”

Stuttgart. Sabine Lisicki, the sensational winner of the Charleston tournament, faced the journalist’s questions at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Monday. The 19-year-old German’s thoughts on...

...her win at the tournament in Charleston/USA:
“The win was an unbelievable experience and one I’ll never forget. I not only beat Caroline Wozniacki in the final but I also knocked out Venus Williams. The victory gave me a lot of confidence. Now the main thing is to build on the win.”

...the road to her first big tournament win:
“I didn’t care whether I was playing in the quarters, semis or final. I just concentrated on the match I was playing. And it worked well. I’ve worked hard over the past few years to get where I am now. I knew, I could beat players above me in the rankings. All I was lacking was the coolness and consistency. It had to come at some stage.“

...the changes in her game since Charleston:
“After such a tournament win you go into the next matches with a lot more confidence. That was obvious in the Fed Cup in Frankfurt. I’ve noticed I’ve gained a lot of experience. In the past I’d often have a bad patch on court. Today I’m much more consistent and cooler. There’ll naturally always be defeats. Life isn’t only about the ups. I’m always positive when I look into the future.”

...the reaction in the various media on her win:
“It’s obviously great that I’m in such demand at the moment. I haven’t got around to reading everything but it’s especially pleasing to see the effect it’s having on women’s tennis in Germany. We felt it in Frankfurt. The stadium was sold out and the atmosphere was fantastic. I hope things will be just as good here in Stuttgart.”

...the No. 1:
“My long term goal is to become the No.1. But it’s naturally not my target for 2009 as that would be totally unrealistic. This year I’d like to break into the top 30 so that I’ll be seeded at the Grand Slams next year. I’m thinking step by step but I feel it’s important to have a big goal if you’re going to progress and to know why you work so hard. There’s no presents on the Tour.“

... her first match on the clay court in the Porsche Arena:
“I haven’t played on the court yet. I don’t yet know how good the surface is. Other players have told me it must be good. I’m looking forward to playing on it, especially as I’m up against Patty Schnyder. We played each other in the Fed Cup in February when she won but only just. I’m more confident now and my game has improved generally. It’ll be interesting to see how the match goes.”

...her hobbies:
“I love to sleep so that I can recover. I like listening to music and I read. My last book was Lance Armstrong’s biography.”

27/04/2009