2011 BNP Paribas Open: Caroline Wozniacki vs Marion Bartoli Final Preview
Top seeded Caroline Wozniacki will face the Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli on Sunday in the final of 2011 BNP Paribas Open. The two pro’s looked in commanding form as they secured comfortable victories in their semifinal match-ups.
Wozniacki charged into the finals after humiliating former world number 1 Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2.The Dane made six serve breaks in a completely one sided contest that lasted for only 1 hour and 20 minutes. She reached the first
serve conversion of 84 percent and used her effective ground strokes to great effect. Sharapova was extremely careless with the short balls often smashing her backhands on to the net. She looked short of energy and served eight doubles faults in the match.
"I was very focused out there tonight," Said Wozniacki. "She can hit some amazing shots, but she also gives you a few free points once in a while. Definitely I didn't expect such a score, but I'm very pleased about the way I played
and the way I got my tactics to work," the 20-year-old Dane told the press after reaching her third successive WTA final this year.
Wozniacki is having a dream run on the Women’s Tennis Association tour since the start of this season. The world number 1 has only lost one match in her last three WTA tournaments. She is a clear favorite to win this clash.
Marion Bartoli, on the other hand, had to fight for her place in the finals. She came back from a set deficit against Monica Niculescu in her first match-up to earn a hard fought victory 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Fifteenth seeded Bartoli made quick work of Yanina Wickmayer in the other semifinal and made five serve breaks in a match lasting for 1 hour and 25 minutes. However she committed a number of unforced errors in the match including
7 double faults. The Frenchwoman will certainly have to lift her game to better level if she wants to stand a chance against the inform Wozniacki who is striking the ball perfectly.
I'm very excited to be in the final, but also, I knew I could be there,” she said. “It was just a matter of time between the Wimbledon final and getting to the final over here. Obviously I had everything in my game to be there,
but it was just a matter of putting everything together at the good time and being tough on the court.”
The two players have met each other on six previous occasions prior to this encounter with Wozniacki leading the head to head score 4-2. Their last meeting at the Qatar Ladies Open resulted in an easy win for the Dane 6-1, 6-1.
Prediction: Although the Frenchwoman defeated Wozniacki in 2009 Stuttgart and 2010 Cincinnati, considering the Dane’s supreme form she is expected to win in two closely contested sets.
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