High noon in the spa park.

Time for a duel between two women, time for Sabine Lisicki.

On Thursday, the Berliner opened the day of the Bad Homburg Open for the third time in a row.

The Berliner had won her first two showdowns at twelve noon on Center Court.

However, the third duel went wrong, the French Caroline Garcia proved in the midday heat of 30 degrees Celsius to be a bit more constant and calmer tennis player at decisive moments and won 6: 3, 7: 6 (9: 7).

Thomas Klemm

sports editor.

  • Follow I follow

Nevertheless, Lisicki was quite satisfied: "I think I'm playing at the top 100 level again." to make her comeback successful: "I've gained good match practice and self-confidence."

Many a spectator, who apparently follows the professional tour less than the league in the local region, apparently missed Lisicki's return after a cruciate ligament rupture.

"I didn't even know that Lisicki was still playing," said a woman while waiting to be admitted to Center Court.

Her companion informed her that the 2013 Wimbledon finalist was back in world ranking 804.

"That would make her fit into our Hessen League team," the woman replied.

With all due respect to the top tennis in the region: Sabine Lisicki usually plays in a different class.

She could soon be back there if she expands her game on her beloved lawn to other surfaces.

She successfully used the wildcards from the German tournament organizers – in Berlin for the qualification and in Bad Homburg for the main draw.

If Lisicki had moved up 184 places in the previous week, she will make a bigger leap thanks to reaching the quarter-finals in Bad Homburg.

The Berliner takes 60 world ranking points with her, around twice as many as she has collected since her return two months ago.

The 32-year-old will probably be ranked 499th in the world next Monday.

"Collecting points is the top priority," said Lisicki, who took the Bad Homburg prize of 5,000 euros with her rather casually.

More was possible against Garcia, himself plagued by foot problems for months.

But with Lisicki, strong blows and mistakes changed.

Lisicki explained that she couldn't convert any of her twelve breakballs with Garcia's strength: "Her serves were incredibly good."

Angelique Kerber also lost to a French player on Thursday evening.

The 34-year-old, last year's tournament winner in Bad Homburg, lost to the strong player Alizé Cornet 4:6, 6:2, 1:6.

Kerber fought against the impending defeat with all his might.

In the third set, however, she had to break early to make it 2-0 and was unable to catch up.

Cornet converted her second match point after 1:54 hours and now meets Garcia, Kerber left the pitch with his head hanging.

Kerber is ranked 15th in Wimbledon (from June 27th), in 2018 she won the tournament in south-west London.

Lisicki, a 2013 All England Club finalist, is absent.

She made her last appearance at Wimbledon in 2017, and in the two years that followed she lost in qualifying.