Wimbledon Semifinal Picks- Part I

[5] Maria Sharapova vs [WC] Sabine Lisicki

It will be the oddsmakers' favorite against the girl who defied all odds to get this far. Although on paper, Sharapova goes in the overwhelming favorite, I feel it could go either way.

Sharapova has been playing with authority for the whole tournament. She routed Cibulkova in the quarterfinals 6-1 6-1. She will be looking to punish Lisicki's second serve which is often in the 70-80 MPH range. Sharapova will go into this match with confidence knowing that she won their only match 6-2 6-0. However, she knows that Lisicki was just coming back to the game in March of 2011 when Sharapova routed her. In order to win, Sharapova will need to get a high percentage of first serves in as she has a very low-margin second serve that is prone to breaking down. Sharapova has been doing a great job of keeping her double faults down.

Much has been said about how Sabine Lisicki needed to write a letter to the AELTC begging for a wild card. There has also been a lot said about her first serve. Lisicki's first serve is one of the best in the women's game. She has clocked the fastest serve at Wimbledon on the women's at 124 MPH. She is able to hit aces during high-pressure moments which was apparent when she served four un-returnable serves when she was down double match point to the Roland Garros champion, Li Na. However, her second serve will be a sitting duck. However, besides her serve, Lisicki has a lot going for her. She has penetrating shots, and her forehand will get her many winners. She has excellent drop shots and top spin lobs off both sides, so she will be able to move Sharapova around the court. Also, she doesn't need to face as much pressure as Sharapova, so she can swing freely.

Although this match is hard to call, I'll go with the upset. I think that Sabine has showed a great deal of mental toughness in her matches so far, and she has shown that she can serve herself out of danger. If she doesn't let the moment get to her, she will advance in three tough sets to her first major final.