Top seed Safina into Wimbledon semis

London:

World number one Dinara Safina reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time on Tuesday with a 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-1 win over unseeded German teenager Sabine Lisicki.

Despite losing the first set by double-faulting on a tie-break, the top-seeded Russian recovered to beat the world number 41 in two hours, 28 minutes on Centre Court.

Safina faces defending champion Venus Williams, the third seed, for a place in the final.

"I'm happy that I am in the semi-final. I had the chances in the first set and didn't take them," she said.

"I was hanging there. I was tough mentally, I think that was the key.

"I think I was Santa Claus today serving so many double faults.

"It's not going to be easy playing against Venus. She likes playing on grass and I have nothing to lose," she added.