Doing it her way, France’s Bartoli wins Wimbledon | SummitDaily.com
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Doing it her way, France’s Bartoli wins Wimbledon

Howard Fendrich
AP Tennis Writer
Marion Bartoli of France, left, and Sabine Lisicki of Germany during the trophy ceremony after Bartoli won the Women's singles final match against at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Saturday, July 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
AP | AP

LONDON — Ever since she was a kid, practicing until midnight with her father, Marion Bartoli went about playing tennis her own way. The two-handed strokes for backhands, forehands, even volleys. The hopping in place and practice swings between points, which help her focus. The unusual setup for serves — no ball-bouncing, arms crossed, right wrist resting on her left thumb before the toss.

Whatever works, right? This unique Wimbledon, appropriately enough, produced a unique champion in the ambidextrous Bartoli, the 15th-seeded Frenchwoman who won her first Grand Slam title by beating 23rd-seeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany 6-1, 6-4 Saturday in an error-filled, one-sided final that was far from a classic.

“It’s always been a part of my personality to be different. I think being just like the other one is kind of boring. I really embrace the fact of being a bit different and doing something that not everyone is,” said the 28-year-old Bartoli, who plays tennis right-handed but signs autographs with her left. “I actually love that part of my game, being able to have something different.”



She certainly stands alone.

This was Bartoli’s 47th Grand Slam tournament, the most ever played by a woman before earning a championship.



She is the only woman in the 45-year Open era to win Wimbledon playing two-fisted shots off both wings (Monica Seles, Bartoli’s inspiration for that unusual style, collected her nine major titles elsewhere).

Until Saturday, it had been more than 1½ years since Bartoli won a tournament at any level.

Until these last two weeks, Bartoli’s record in 2013 was 14-12, and she had failed to make it past the quarterfinals anywhere.

Asked how to explain how she went from that sort of mediocre season to winning seven matches in a row at Wimbledon, never dropping a set, Bartoli briefly closed her eyes, then laughed heartily.

“Well,” Bartoli said, spreading her arms wide, “that’s me!”

Unlike Lisicki, a first-time major finalist who was admittedly overwhelmed by the occasion and teared up in the second set, Bartoli already had been on this stage, with the same stakes. Back in 2007, Bartoli won only five games during a two-set loss to Venus Williams in the Wimbledon final.

“I know how it feels, Sabine,” Bartoli said during the on-court trophy ceremony. “And I’m sure, believe me, you’ll be there one more time. I have no doubt about it.”

Bartoli became the first woman in the Open era to win Wimbledon without facing anyone seeded in the top 10 — her highest-rated opponent was No. 17 Sloane Stephens of the United States in the quarterfinals. That’s in part because of all of the injuries and surprises, including exits for No. 2 Victoria Azarenka, No. 3 Maria Sharapova, No. 5 Sara Errani, No. 7 Angelique Kerber, No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki and No. 10 Maria Kirilenko by the end of the second round.

Lisicki, meanwhile, used her game built for grass — fast serves, stinging returns, superb court coverage — to end defending champion and top-seeded Serena Williams’ 34-match winning streak in the fourth round. Lisicki also eliminated past major champions Francesca Schiavone and Sam Stosur, along with No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, last year’s runner-up.

But Lisicki was an entirely different player Sunday, rattled by every little thing, even the walk downstairs from the locker room to Centre Court and the final-afternoon ritual of players carrying bouquets of flowers when they enter the arena.

“Everything is a little bit different. You’ve been here for two weeks; the feeling, atmosphere, gets different,” said Lisicki, who is based in Bradenton, Fla., and marked her rare winners Saturday with yells of “Yes!” or “Come on!”

“I felt fine this morning, but it’s an occasion that you don’t get every day,” she said. “So it’s something completely new for me. But I will learn and take away so much from it.”

When play began under a sunny sky, it was Bartoli who looked jittery, double-faulting twice in a row to drop the opening game.

Then it was Lisicki’s turn to serve, and she returned the favor, double-faulting on break point — her last serve barely reaching the bottom of the net — to make it 1-all.

From there, Bartoli took over, winning 11 of 12 games, and doing exactly what her father, a doctor who taught his daughter how to play, used to hope and imagine could happen in such an important match. Standing inside the baseline — another sign of individuality — Bartoli got back serves that topped 110 mph. She won the point on 9 of 11 trips to the net. She dictated the flow of baseline exchanges, thinking one or two moves ahead, the way one tries to do in chess, her father’s favorite pastime.

“I was doing everything well,” Bartoli said. “I was moving well. I was returning well. I mean, I really played a wonderful match.”


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