Lisicki gets help from Becker
Sabine Lisicki has been taking the advice of compatriot Boris Becker as she attempts to cement her status as the darling of Wimbledon by lifting the famous Venus Rosewater Dish on Centre Court this afternoon.
Lisicki's all-action performance against Serena Williams in the fourth round captured the hearts of tennis fans at SW19 and she has not looked back since. If she beats France's Marion Bartoli today she will became the first German to win a grand slam since Steffi Graf beat Martina Hingis to claim the 1999 French Open.
It was therefore apt that she should turn to her fellow German Becker, who won Wimbledon three times, for help prior to her first grand slam final. "I've just spoken with Boris Becker after I did an interview with him," said Lisicki. "I asked him a couple of questions, how it was for him. He won the first final he was in, so that's pretty good for me."
Lisicki's power earned her the respect of the crowd following her win over Williams.
Her ability to send booming forehands back over the net also means she has picked up a new nickname - 'Boom Boom Bina'.
She admits she is likely to meet her match in the power stakes today, though, when she steps out on Centre Court at 2pm to fulfil what she described earlier this week as the dream she has held since she was a little girl.
"She is aggressive," said Lisicki, who hails from Troisdorf, a small town in western Germany. "It's a final, so it's going to be good. I had a lot of challenges on my way to the finals with players being aggressive, players who were very solid, moving very well, so it will be another challenge and I'm really looking forward to it."
Bartoli was informed about the home crowd's love for Lisicki yesterday. She hopes she can win them round this afternoon with another impressive performance that will help end her 13-year wait for a major.
"I don't think I will have the whole crowd against me... she's not British, as far as I know," the 15th seed said.
"I think it will be pretty fair. It will really depend on the way I'm playing and if I'm able to put a great level of tennis."
