Wimbledon 2013: Ladies final preview - Sabine Lisicki vs Marion Bartoli

The 28-year-old Frenchwoman certainly knows the importance of fighting – fighting off the numerous criticisms that come her way, fighting off people’s doubts.

She has those innumerable jumps and hops as part of her on-court match routine and the shadow boxing that she displays which perhaps peeves the spectators; but there’s no denying that she does posses one of the flattest and cleanest strokes in the game. The girl with an unusually high IQ has an unconventional style, but her Monica Seles-esque two-handers off both flanks do produce some spectacular results when she is on fire.

Bartoli gave a reminder to people of the best she can be in her semi-final match against Kirsten Flipkens. Even when she is locked in a tough battle, she knows perfectly when to take her chances like she did against Sloane Stephens. And that only confirms the peace and calmness of her mind after struggling to find stability with her coaches this year.

Renouncing her long-time coach – her father – from his duties, she joined forces with former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna and then again paired up with her father, but is now being helped by Amelie Mauresmo and Bernard Tomic’s erstwhile hitting partner – Thomas Drouet – at Wimbledon.

France’s Marion Bartoli (R) throws tennis balls with a trainer during a training session on day eleven of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament at the All England Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 5, 2013, ahead of the women’s singles final match on July 6

And that similarity has been exhibited by the German girl too, who the press is fondly calling ‘Doris Becker’.

She is moving better and, most importantly, has been able to find a way through her lapses after hiring Kim Clijsters’s former coach Wim Fissette. In spite of having a flamboyant game, inconsistency has been a big hindrance in her path to success. But Lisicki has found positive vibes this Wimbledon, and has shown that she can surge back even from 0-3 deficit in the final set like she did against Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska.

Besides hitting those brilliant off-forehands and thundering passes, the German has also done something consistently – exquisite volleying and using dropshots impeccably.

Two years ago, when Lisicki met Bartoli in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, that is how she exploited Marion’s relatively lethargic footwork. She had used her serve out wide effectively to put Marion out of the court and put balls beyond her reach magnificently. Marion does take the ball on the rise and is a fantastic returner. If Lisicki doesn’t serve as smoothly as she has been doing for the better part of the tournament and if she gets into one of her unavoidable lapses, then it will spell trouble.

Both have been playing with a lot of heart and courage throughout, but it is Lisicki’s big-match experience that might hold her in good stead for the final and give her a slight edge. That Bartoli hasn’t faced any of the top 15 seeds so far and Lisicki has scalped three top 15 seeds en route to the final might just play a part when push comes to shove.

Lisicki has the relentless support of the great Steffi Graf and Boris Becker. That just might inspire her to achieve colossal heights in her first ever major final. Besides, the last time Marion Bartoli reached the Wimbledon final she had faced a 23rd-seeded Venus Williams. Sabine too is eerily seeded 23rd. Is that an omen?

Prediction: Lisicki wins in three sets.