Besides Marion Bartoli's final in Wimbledon in 2007, there's no much people who remember the french number one as a consistant player. But 2011 has been a really good year for her. For instance, she reached back to back semi-finals at Roand-Garros and quarter-finals at Wimbledon. Let's see how Marion's season looked like.
2011 In Review : Marion begins the year at the Brisbane International reaching the semi-finals before losing to Andrea Petkovic from Germany. She then goes to the Australian Open where she loses to Vesna Dolonts from Russia because of a hip injury. The year begins in a quite average way. She then goes to Emirates , in Dubai in order to play the Dubai Duty Free Championships where she reaches the 3rd round losing to Agnieszka Radwanska. At Doha, she manages to reach the semi-final, her first significant result of the season, before losing comprehensively to eventual champion, the world number one Caroline Wozniacki on a clean scoreline 6/1 6/1.
She then goes to United States for the American swing at Indian Wells and Miami and that's there where her season begins really. In fact, she reaches the Indian Wells final beating on her way Petkovic, Wickmayer and Ivanovic before losing again to Caroline Wozniacki but in three tough sets this time, giving the Dan a run for her money. This was a great final as Marion really showed what she was capable of. She reaches the last 16 at Miami, losing to Vera Zvonareva due to fatigue
The claycourt campain began really hard. In fact, she lost openning rounds at Charleston, Stuttgart, Barcelona and Rome. Before Strasbourg, she won a single match on clay in Madrid against Simona Halep but managed to reach the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg before surrendering against Andrea Petkovic.
She arrives in Roland Garros injuried and nobody know how she'll show up, and if she'll even do so. She finally decide to play there. She goes through tough first rounds beating Anna Tatishvili, Olga Govortsova and Julia Gorges in three sets before enjoying of Gisela Dulko's walkover to advance to quarter-finals where she dissmises Svetlana Kuznetsova, former Roland Garros champion 7/6 6/4, playing a great match on this Suzanne Lenglen Court. She failed to reach the final, losing to Fransesca Schiavone, the defending champion, 6/3 6/3.
Then comes the grasscourt season that Marion likes a lot and here is the evidence : She wins her first tournament on grass at Eastbourne beating Petra Kvitova in the final, in a though three-setter. This title boosts her into Wimbledon with a lot of confidence. She wins her first round easily, before living two nightmare matches against Dominguez Lino and Flavia Pennetta. In the 4th round, she briantly dissmises the defending champion Serena Williams 6/3 7/6 before losing in the quarter-finals to Wimbledon's cindrella story of the year, Sabine Lisciki in a high match quality in three sets.
This good rythym stays with Marion as she reaches the final at Stanford losing to Serena Williams in two tight sets. But the next tournaments are harder to handle. In fact she loses opening round at Toronto to qualifier Kazakh, Galina Voskoboeva in straight sets 6/3 6/3. In Cincinnati, she wins first round before losing to Daniela Hantuchova in three tight sets 6/3 7/5 6/3. After reaching quarter-finals at New Heaven, losing to eventual runner-up Petra Cetkovska; she loses in the 2nd round at the US Open, in New York, to american youngster Christina McHale 7/6 6/2.
There comes the Asian swing that Marion plays under preassure as she is struggling against Agnieszka Radwanska in order to qualify for the YEC at Instanbul. But Agnieszka's great results won't make Marion qualify directly but just as a remplacant and this even if she wins at the HP Open, at Osaka.
Due to Maria Sharapova's ankle injury and retirment from Istanbul Masters, Marion in allowed to play a match against Victoria Azarenka that she beat in high fashion style in a rough three-setter. But season isn't over yet for Marion as she qualified for the Bali's tournament of Champions where she is forced to retire during her semi-final against Anabel Medina Guarrigues because of an ankle injury.
What to expect for 2012 ? : First to recover from that ankle injury that seemed quite serious during the Bali Open. Beside that, we really hope, in our team, that Marion Bartoli will play even better than this year. In fact, this was a great year for her, she's been consistant throughout the entire season. She does a great job with her dad and that's why she's got troubles with the French Federation.
We all know that Marion has not played in the French Fed Cup since 2005 because the French federation does not allow personal coaches during the Fed Cup weeks and this is a huge problem for her in order to play Olympics since she has to play at least two times in 2011-2012 in Fed Cup. But Marion got the support of the WTA and will intend to play for France by asking the ITF a special favor. In fact, she's always been ready to play for French team... if they have allowed her to come with her coach Walter Bartoli... Story to be continued. The greatest end would be, for her, to be allowed to play in Olympics for France and clinching a medal, to make Nicolas Escude's staff think again about this entire coaching story.
It's been four years since Marion reached her maiden grand slam final and never did it twice, yet. Why not trying to reach one in 2012. She surely has what it takes in her racquet. But in order to do so, she'll have to be physically strong and physical issues had a lot to do with Marion's loss this year.
Indeed, she'll be a big contender at all grand tournaments and she's a great giant killer who will be able to clinch great victories in 2012 too. We really hope she'll grab a TOP 8 spot in order to play directly the Istanbul Masters.
The best of 2011 : Marion Bartoli d. Petra Kvitova 6/1 4/6 7/5 (Eastbourne-Final)
This was Marion's best match in term of quality. I gotta confess I hestitated with the match against Svetlana Kuznetsova's match in Roland Garros but talking purely about tennis, Marion and Petra both played near their best level and Marion had that extra-power, the fire-power to go at then end of the match and win this mental struggle. Sublime match.
The worst of 2011 : Christina McHale d. Marion Bartoli 7/6 6/2 (US Open- 2nd round)
Here again, I hestitated between this one and the one she lost against Magdalena Rybarikova at the 1st round of the Barcelona Ladies Open but I finally chose the US Open match because it was a grand slam and that Marion is a really good player on hardcourts, in general. But this time, she was not feeling the ball at all, she was not playing good at all and she was far away from her standards. But credit to Christina McHale that handled well the preassure of playing home against a top player
9- Marion Bartoli (FRANCE)
2010 Year-Ending Ranking : 16 (+7)  |
| Marion Bartoli hitting a two-handed shot, as usual, during the BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells, USA) |
She then goes to United States for the American swing at Indian Wells and Miami and that's there where her season begins really. In fact, she reaches the Indian Wells final beating on her way Petkovic, Wickmayer and Ivanovic before losing again to Caroline Wozniacki but in three tough sets this time, giving the Dan a run for her money. This was a great final as Marion really showed what she was capable of. She reaches the last 16 at Miami, losing to Vera Zvonareva due to fatigue
The claycourt campain began really hard. In fact, she lost openning rounds at Charleston, Stuttgart, Barcelona and Rome. Before Strasbourg, she won a single match on clay in Madrid against Simona Halep but managed to reach the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg before surrendering against Andrea Petkovic.
She arrives in Roland Garros injuried and nobody know how she'll show up, and if she'll even do so. She finally decide to play there. She goes through tough first rounds beating Anna Tatishvili, Olga Govortsova and Julia Gorges in three sets before enjoying of Gisela Dulko's walkover to advance to quarter-finals where she dissmises Svetlana Kuznetsova, former Roland Garros champion 7/6 6/4, playing a great match on this Suzanne Lenglen Court. She failed to reach the final, losing to Fransesca Schiavone, the defending champion, 6/3 6/3.
Then comes the grasscourt season that Marion likes a lot and here is the evidence : She wins her first tournament on grass at Eastbourne beating Petra Kvitova in the final, in a though three-setter. This title boosts her into Wimbledon with a lot of confidence. She wins her first round easily, before living two nightmare matches against Dominguez Lino and Flavia Pennetta. In the 4th round, she briantly dissmises the defending champion Serena Williams 6/3 7/6 before losing in the quarter-finals to Wimbledon's cindrella story of the year, Sabine Lisciki in a high match quality in three sets.
This good rythym stays with Marion as she reaches the final at Stanford losing to Serena Williams in two tight sets. But the next tournaments are harder to handle. In fact she loses opening round at Toronto to qualifier Kazakh, Galina Voskoboeva in straight sets 6/3 6/3. In Cincinnati, she wins first round before losing to Daniela Hantuchova in three tight sets 6/3 7/5 6/3. After reaching quarter-finals at New Heaven, losing to eventual runner-up Petra Cetkovska; she loses in the 2nd round at the US Open, in New York, to american youngster Christina McHale 7/6 6/2.
There comes the Asian swing that Marion plays under preassure as she is struggling against Agnieszka Radwanska in order to qualify for the YEC at Instanbul. But Agnieszka's great results won't make Marion qualify directly but just as a remplacant and this even if she wins at the HP Open, at Osaka.
Due to Maria Sharapova's ankle injury and retirment from Istanbul Masters, Marion in allowed to play a match against Victoria Azarenka that she beat in high fashion style in a rough three-setter. But season isn't over yet for Marion as she qualified for the Bali's tournament of Champions where she is forced to retire during her semi-final against Anabel Medina Guarrigues because of an ankle injury.
What to expect for 2012 ? : First to recover from that ankle injury that seemed quite serious during the Bali Open. Beside that, we really hope, in our team, that Marion Bartoli will play even better than this year. In fact, this was a great year for her, she's been consistant throughout the entire season. She does a great job with her dad and that's why she's got troubles with the French Federation.
We all know that Marion has not played in the French Fed Cup since 2005 because the French federation does not allow personal coaches during the Fed Cup weeks and this is a huge problem for her in order to play Olympics since she has to play at least two times in 2011-2012 in Fed Cup. But Marion got the support of the WTA and will intend to play for France by asking the ITF a special favor. In fact, she's always been ready to play for French team... if they have allowed her to come with her coach Walter Bartoli... Story to be continued. The greatest end would be, for her, to be allowed to play in Olympics for France and clinching a medal, to make Nicolas Escude's staff think again about this entire coaching story.
It's been four years since Marion reached her maiden grand slam final and never did it twice, yet. Why not trying to reach one in 2012. She surely has what it takes in her racquet. But in order to do so, she'll have to be physically strong and physical issues had a lot to do with Marion's loss this year.
Indeed, she'll be a big contender at all grand tournaments and she's a great giant killer who will be able to clinch great victories in 2012 too. We really hope she'll grab a TOP 8 spot in order to play directly the Istanbul Masters.
The best of 2011 : Marion Bartoli d. Petra Kvitova 6/1 4/6 7/5 (Eastbourne-Final)
This was Marion's best match in term of quality. I gotta confess I hestitated with the match against Svetlana Kuznetsova's match in Roland Garros but talking purely about tennis, Marion and Petra both played near their best level and Marion had that extra-power, the fire-power to go at then end of the match and win this mental struggle. Sublime match.
The worst of 2011 : Christina McHale d. Marion Bartoli 7/6 6/2 (US Open- 2nd round)
Here again, I hestitated between this one and the one she lost against Magdalena Rybarikova at the 1st round of the Barcelona Ladies Open but I finally chose the US Open match because it was a grand slam and that Marion is a really good player on hardcourts, in general. But this time, she was not feeling the ball at all, she was not playing good at all and she was far away from her standards. But credit to Christina McHale that handled well the preassure of playing home against a top player
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