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| At her favourite tournament an emotional Lisicki shocked Williams |
Wimbledon 2013 Day 7: Lisicki stuns Williams
Women's singles
We probably should not have expected anything else. In this most unusual of Wimbledon's that has already seen upset after upset maybe a massive shock to start week two should have expected.
However the three set defeat of red-hot favourite Serena Williams by 23rd seed Sabine Lisicki sent shock waves around SW19.
The American was on a career best 34 match winning streak, had won her last five tournaments and three of the last four Grand Slam titles - plus the Olympics - and had looked imperious, untouchable throughout week one. She was the most certain Champion in years and suddenly she was out.
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Heading into the match I did think, like most, that Lisicki had the weapons to trouble Williams but I never thought that she win.
The German had looked impressive in beating Sam Stosur on Saturday from a set down and loves loves loves the lawns of the All England Club with a quarter final in 2009, semi-final two years later and another quarter final showing last year when she should have been compatriot Angelique Kerber having led 5-3 in the third.
Twelve months ago Lisicki took out top seed and French Open champion Maria Sharapova in the fourth round and lightning certainly struck twice yesterday.
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| Lisicki was pumped and played some superb power tennis |
The Girl with the biggest smile in tennis and a huge serve and groundstrokes to match took it to Williams in the first set breaking the mighty Williams serve twice. She then held it together when the World No.1 took nine of the next ten games to take control of the match.
Amazingly from a position of being 3-0 up in the decider Serena was broken three times and Lisicki served the match out at the first attempt in impressive style. The 23 year-old slammed an ace down the middle to save break point and hit a forehand winner on her second match point to clinch the match of her life.
So with the certain favourite who is going to win the 2013 Ladies title? Alas not a British woman for the first time since 1977 as Laura Robson could not find her best tennis in the crucial moments and lost a very tight contest 7-6(8-6) 7-5 against the experience of Kaia Kanepi on Court 1.
Robson had her chances and should have taken the opening set as she served for it at 5-4 and later led 5-2 in the tie-break.
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| It was the end of an excellent tournament for Robson |
But still it has been a wonderful tournament for the 19 year-old who will break new ground in the WTA rankings next week and will return to Wimbledon next year confident of going further. Certainly she should now be seeded at the US Open which will be very exciting.
Kanepi and Lisicki will face off for the first time in the top quarter final while in contrast Agnieszka Radwanska and Na Li will be crossing swords for the eleventh time when they meet in the last eight. Li crushed 11th seed Roberta Vinci while 2012 finalist Radwanska came from a set down to defeat grass loving Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova 4-6 6-3 6-3.
Radwanska and Li have met twice at Wimbledon previously with one victory a piece and have met twice in 2013 again with each gaining one victory. It will be a fascinating match when the pair meet on Tuesday and the winner will be favourite to reach the final although both hard hitting blondes at the top of the draw will be very dangerous.
In the aftermath of Williams' lost my new favourite for the title is the one remaining player who knows how it feels to raise the Venus Rosewater Dish - Miss Petra Kvitova.
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| Kvitova played well to see off Suarez Navarro |
The 2011 Champion has been hit and miss now for a long while but when she is ON she is magnificent and if she can bring that A-game over the next three rounds a second major title on the grass could be hers.
The Czech eighth seed - who was also seeded 8 when she triumphed two years ago - came through a tight encounter with Carla Suarez Navarro on Court 3 7-6(7-5) 6-3 to reach the last eight for a fourth straight year.
Kvitova next faces quarter final debutant Kirsten Flipkens as the Belgian 20th seed came through a tough first set before beating former World No.10 Flavia Pennetta in straight sets.
The other quarter final in the bottom half promises to be an excellent contest between 2007 finalist Marion Bartoli and American No.2 Sloane Stephens. Bartoli dispatched Karin Knapp while Stephens came five points from defeat before seeing off Monica Puig 4-6 7-5 6-1.
Men's Singles
There were no such shocks in the Men's singles on day 7 with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray remaining on course for a clash in the final.
The World No.1 and Australian Open champion trailed 2-4 in the second set and was broken serving for the match against Haas in the third while US Open and Olympic champion Murray hit back from 2-5 in the second against Youzhny.
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| Murray is looking impressive at SW19 |
The top two seeds both lost 11 games and came through a mini test as Djokovic saw off Tommy Haas and Murray put away Mikhail Youzhny.
All the major seeds in the Djokovic's half of the draw booked their allotted places in the last eight with David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych and Del Potro all coming through.
Ferrer was almost 10 minutes late for his clash with Croatia's Ivan Dodig and then had to come from a set down to book his second consecutive Wimbledon quarter final.
2010 finalist Berdych came through a hard fought four-setter against Bernard Tomic on Court 1 while Del Potro won in straight sets against Andreas Seppi to complete his set of major quarter finals.
Ferrer was almost 10 minutes late for his clash with Croatia's Ivan Dodig and then had to come from a set down to book his second consecutive Wimbledon quarter final.
2010 finalist Berdych came through a hard fought four-setter against Bernard Tomic on Court 1 while Del Potro won in straight sets against Andreas Seppi to complete his set of major quarter finals.
Berdych will be out to repeat his 2010 semi-final victory over Djokovic - which he repeated recently in Rome - while Del Potro will be out to overturn a 2-6 head to head record against Ferrer which includes a fourth round loss to the Spaniard twelve months ago.
Both Poles fought through their fourth round encounters 6-4 in the fifth - with Janowicz getting past Jurgen Melzer and Kubot edging out Adrian Mannarino - and will next clash for the honour of becoming the first Polish man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final.
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| Danger man - Janowicz is delivering on his promise |
Murray's half of the draw has certainly not held to the form book like the top half.
Instead of the much anticipated Federer vs Nadal quarter final we have the battle of Poland with Jerzy Janowicz facing Lukasz Kubot.
You would have a brave, nay crazy, punter to have predicted that at the start of the fortnight!
Aiming to stop a Murray vs Poland semi-final will be Fernando Verdasco as the former World No.7 ended the surprising run of Frenchman Kenny De Schepper to reach his first Wimbledon quarter final and first major quarter final since 2010.
Doubles
Sheffield's Jonny Marray had his reign as Wimbledon Men's Doubles Champion ended on day 7 as the 32 year-old and partner Colin Fleming went down in straight sets to sixth seeds Daniel Nestor and Robert Lindstedt 7-6(7-5) 7-5 6-3.
It was a tough draw for the British ninth seeds and revenge for Lindstedt after his epic five set victory at the hands of Marray and Nielsen in the final twelve months ago.
My main sadness was that the defeat for Marray and Fleming came on Court 7, rather than on a show court, but that was probably because of having to schedule mixed doubles matches later in the day for some of the players involved.
Sheffield's Jonny Marray had his reign as Wimbledon Men's Doubles Champion ended on day 7 as the 32 year-old and partner Colin Fleming went down in straight sets to sixth seeds Daniel Nestor and Robert Lindstedt 7-6(7-5) 7-5 6-3.
It was a tough draw for the British ninth seeds and revenge for Lindstedt after his epic five set victory at the hands of Marray and Nielsen in the final twelve months ago.
My main sadness was that the defeat for Marray and Fleming came on Court 7, rather than on a show court, but that was probably because of having to schedule mixed doubles matches later in the day for some of the players involved.
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