London: Maria Sharapova's hopes of winning a second Wimbledon title were shattered on Monday as the world number one was comprehensively beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Germany's Sabine Lisicki in the fourth round.
The world number 15 had top seed Sharapova on the back foot early in the first set, forcing her into a string of uncharacteristic errors, and did not let up until she had gained revenge for her semi-final defeat by the Russian last year.
Lisicki, who had complained about her second-round opponent Bojana Jovanovski's grunting, was forced to endure Sharapova's loud wails, but kept her concentration to break the French Open champion decisively in the 10th game of the first set.
She broke again early in the second and closed it out, converting her third match point with an ace.
"It is just unbelievable for me, I'm just so happy," Lisicki said after falling to her knees with both fists clenched in celebration. "I have lost my three previous meetings with her. I just went for my shots."
"I am a fighter too and I fight to last point. I'm getting better with each match." The German will play compatriot Angelique Kerber, who beat Belgian Kim Clijsters, in the quarter-final.
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