Safina Subordinates Stubborn Sabine

Welcome to today's post, Safina Subordinates Stubborn Sabine; or, Jodi plays with alliteration and assonance.

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I seriously didn't know who to pull for in this match. I'm a huge fan of both these girls - in fact, they're probably my top two. I love the total sense of joie de vivre that Lisicki brings to the court, and I love the grit and determination that Safina has taught herself over the past two years or so. It was confusing - I'd be cheering for Lisicki when she had break points and then praying Safina would save them. I would find myself doing a fistpump on a Safina double fault when it benefited Lisicki. It was bizarre - I've never been able to pick between two players before. I always have a sense of who I want to win - even when Federer plays Safin, because although I love Marat very much, my heart belongs to Roger.

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But with these two, I just could not pick.

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I think I'm glad Dinara pulled through in the end though, I think. Lisicki is an up and comer in her first Slam quarter final - and I think you'd have to be a fool to think that she won't reach any more. She has some serious, serious game. But Dinara is supposed to have well and truly arrived, and while a quarter final is a great result for Sabine, it's not so much for Dinara. She really dug her heels into this match and for that I applaud her.

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But she must do something about the appalling amount of double faults she serves. That's just whacked out.

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She'll face Venus, and sorry Dinara, but I think the steamroller will be roaring in your direction. Venus demolished Radwanska today - even though Radwanska put up a lot more of a fight than the scoreline suggests. I felt sorry for poor A-Rad... she has a nice game, but there ain't nothing you can do when Venus gets in demolition mode.

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Serena also did a demolition job and I was glad of it, because we all know how I feel about Victoria Azarenka, the Novak Djokovic of women's tennis, spit spit. That girl has a serious attitude problem and I am incapable of appreciating her tennis until she does something about her behaviour. She behaves like a petulant child on court and she deserves everything Serena dished out to her, in my humble opinion. Good on you, Serena.

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Serena will face Elena Dementieva, who has had an absolute cakewalk of a draw so far. Cake. Walk. Seriously, Francesca Schiavone in the quarters? What on earth was Schiavone doing in the quarters? The ante is about to get upped majorly for Elegant Elena, and if I foresee a steamrolling for Safina at the hands of Venus, I'm foreseeing a potential double bagel here. This one could be nassssssssty.

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Today's Results

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The Championships (Wimbledon)

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Women's Draw

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Dinara Safina def. Sabine Lisicki, 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-1

Venus Williams def. Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-1 6-2

Serena Williams def. Victoria Azarenka, 6-2 6-3

Elena Dementieva def. Francesca Schiavone, 6-2 6-2