Steffi Graf Playing Big Role At Wimbledon, Even In Retirement

Steffi Graf has been retired from tennis for more than a decade, but the German tennis legend is playing a big role at this year’s Wimbledon tournament.

Graf, away from the court since announcing her retirement in 1999, is serving as an inspiration and unofficial cheerleader for surprising star Sabine Lisicki. After a stunning upset of Serena Williams in the fourth round, Lasicki now enters the women’s singles final at the All England Club as a favorite to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish.

Lisicki entered the tournament as the No. 23 seed, but now will take on the Marion Bartoli for a chance at her first Grand Slam.

The reach the final, Sabine Lisicki had to beat No. 4 ranked Agnieszka Radwanska, In the match, Lisicki recovered from some uneven play and errors to defeat Radwanska.

“She made some really good points. I made a few errors too many,” Lisicki said. “But I regained my focus and game in the third set, and that’s the main part.”

Before the match Lisicki also got some words of encouragement from Graf.

“It’s not easy for anybody to come back and play the next day after such a big victory but Sabine Lisicki stayed focused, played smart and truly seemed to enjoy herself as she continued her winning streak at Wimbledon,” Graf wrote on her Facebook page.

Graf is more than just a public supporter of Lisicki. Before the match Graf sent a text message with some words of encouragement.

“She told me to go for it, and I’m just so happy,” Lisicki said. “I was just fighting for every single point out there. Fought my heart out there.”

If Sabine Lisicki can pull off a victory in the final, she would have a long way to go to catch friend and fellow countrywoman Steffi Graf. The win would be Lisicki’s first Grand Slam title, while Graf finished her career with 22.