Former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki has received huge respect from Olympic tennis champion Belinda Bencic for making a comeback after a long break.
“I am extremely happy for her. She’s had so much bad luck with injuries and I know how that feels,” Switzerland’s Bencic said in Berlin. “She is a fighter, you can really see that she really loves tennis.”
Lisicki will face Bencic, who reached the final against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in Berlin, in the first round of the grass court tournament in Bad Homburg next week. “Of course it’s a tough draw,” Lisicki said. “On the other hand, I’m looking forward to the match, then I can see directly where I stand, what I still have to work on and I have nothing to lose.”
Lisicki had recently celebrated her comeback after a serious cruciate ligament injury and a year-and-a-half break from injury. The 32-year-old missed out on qualifying for the main draw at her home tournament in Berlin and has a wildcard for Bad Homburg – an entry entitlement for players who are not high enough in the world rankings. “It’s very nice that she gets wildcards and that the way back is made easy for her. We know each other very well and exchange ideas,” said Bencic.
