What a week this has been for Marion Bartoli! Back on her beloved grass, the 2007 Wimbledon finalist finally put together a winning display, capturing her sixth WTA title, the first since Stanford in 2009.
Marion was riding on an impressive record at Eastbourne, having reached the semifinals in the last four seasons. However, with 7 top ten players in the draw, plus the return of the Williams sisters, the chances of her finally making the ultimate step this year looked weak. Moreover, being 3-5 in the decider against Lucie Safarova in her first round clash definitely didn't make the situation look too promising. Somehow though, she found it in her to fight back, to hang out in there when times got tough and to prove she has what it takes to be a champion. And all it took was a day of utter brilliance.
Having survived the Safarova scare, Bartoli ensured a safer passage through to the semifinals, disposing of Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez before benefiting from Azarenka's withdrawal while being 6-2, 2-0 up in their quarterfinal tie. With heavy rain halting the play on Friday, organizers decided to squeeze both the semis and the final on Saturday. In the gustiest of winds, Marion took the court in the morning aiming at reversing a 1-2 deficit in her head-to-head with Samantha Stosur. She did just that, mastering the extremely tough conditions to win the match 6-3,6-1. Having made the big step, she wasn't about to give up the title without a fight. A couple of hours later, she was back on court facing Czech Petra Kvitova in the championship clash. Having made friends with the wind, Bartoli was unreachable for a set and a half, quickly building a 6-1,3-1 advantage. Kvitova is not one to give up easily though and she managed to fight back, levelling the match at one set a piece. As in many other moments of her career, this was the time when the Frenchwoman sustained an injury. She took a medical time-out and I was sure we will witness the history repeating, as she is notorious on tour for retiring during important matches. Having withdrawn in two of her last three finals, Marion decided it was time to hang in there and fight. To my surprise, it was she who came out on top after a fierce battle, winning the decider 7-5.
With this result, the funny Bartoli proved she can win the big matches. After her wins over Justine Henin at Wimbledon in 2007 and Venus Williams in the final of Stanford in 2009, this is probably her biggest achievement. With a title, a final and a Grand Slam semifinals in her last three events, she is playing the best tennis of her life. She will definitely be one to watch out for during the Wimbledon fortnight.
Marion was riding on an impressive record at Eastbourne, having reached the semifinals in the last four seasons. However, with 7 top ten players in the draw, plus the return of the Williams sisters, the chances of her finally making the ultimate step this year looked weak. Moreover, being 3-5 in the decider against Lucie Safarova in her first round clash definitely didn't make the situation look too promising. Somehow though, she found it in her to fight back, to hang out in there when times got tough and to prove she has what it takes to be a champion. And all it took was a day of utter brilliance.
Having survived the Safarova scare, Bartoli ensured a safer passage through to the semifinals, disposing of Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez before benefiting from Azarenka's withdrawal while being 6-2, 2-0 up in their quarterfinal tie. With heavy rain halting the play on Friday, organizers decided to squeeze both the semis and the final on Saturday. In the gustiest of winds, Marion took the court in the morning aiming at reversing a 1-2 deficit in her head-to-head with Samantha Stosur. She did just that, mastering the extremely tough conditions to win the match 6-3,6-1. Having made the big step, she wasn't about to give up the title without a fight. A couple of hours later, she was back on court facing Czech Petra Kvitova in the championship clash. Having made friends with the wind, Bartoli was unreachable for a set and a half, quickly building a 6-1,3-1 advantage. Kvitova is not one to give up easily though and she managed to fight back, levelling the match at one set a piece. As in many other moments of her career, this was the time when the Frenchwoman sustained an injury. She took a medical time-out and I was sure we will witness the history repeating, as she is notorious on tour for retiring during important matches. Having withdrawn in two of her last three finals, Marion decided it was time to hang in there and fight. To my surprise, it was she who came out on top after a fierce battle, winning the decider 7-5.
With this result, the funny Bartoli proved she can win the big matches. After her wins over Justine Henin at Wimbledon in 2007 and Venus Williams in the final of Stanford in 2009, this is probably her biggest achievement. With a title, a final and a Grand Slam semifinals in her last three events, she is playing the best tennis of her life. She will definitely be one to watch out for during the Wimbledon fortnight.
photo: Reuters
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