Angelique Kerber outshines Marion Bartoli in the final showdown – Open GDF SUEZ 2012
World number 22, Angelique Kerber, conquered the second seed, Marion Bartoli, in a tipsy-turvy three setter at the Open GDF Suez 2012 on Sunday. She clobbered a 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3 score line against the local star to grab her maiden WTA title at the Stade
Pierre de Coubertin in Paris, France.
Facing a higher ranked player, Kerber stayed focused throughout the final and eventually pulled out the victory in two hours and 40 minutes in their fifth outing. After pocketing this match, she not only avenged her loss at the Osaka WTA International event
last year but also lowered the trail in the head-to-heads series by 2-3 against the French.
"I got a little bit nervous at 5-2 in the second set, but she was playing very well from that moment too," the proud German commented after the match. "I had nothing to lose today - she was the favourite and I just kept fighting on every point, and it worked."
The German made solid entry at this WTA Premier event and stayed on course to bag $637,000 prize money. She drew the first blood in the fifth game and took a 3-2 lead. However, Kerber lost her serve in the following game and levelled the scores at 3-3. She
then exchanged another serve break and dragged the set to a tie-breaker. The Bremen native dominated in it and clinched the opener with a 7-6(3) score line.
World number seven, Bartoli, carried her losing ways in the second set and gifted away her serve in the second game to go 3-0 down. However, she maintained consistency in her game after this and snatched her break back in the ninth game. The French then
got the breakthrough in the eleventh game ultimately grabbed the equaliser by winning seven games to five.
"I gave everything I had and Angelique did the same," the French stated in the press conference. "You have to know when to accept defeat, though."
The 24-year-old German went berserk in the final set and stroke out the opening four games in a row. Apart from losing her serve in the fifth game, she hammered angled shots from her box of tricks and clinched the decider at 6-3.
Summing up the German’s performance in this epic clash, Kerber saved two out of seven breakpoints she came across and availed five out of 17 break opportunities to earn the limelight. She formulated a lower first serve share but took full advantage of the
several unforced errors and 10 double faults the French spilled.
22nd ranked Kerber shocked many stars en route to final. The German became the ninth seed after her fellow citizen, Sabine Lisicki, withdrew from the tournament due to illness. She dumped Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova and the Romanian rising
star, Monica Niculescu, in troublesome early round matches to reach the final eight. Kerber then jolted down her first top-10 win when she stunned the top seed, Maria Sharapova, in straight sets. After outclassing the seventh seed, Yanina Wickmayer, in brutal
three sets, she remained on track for her first WTA title.
The success gave Kerber confidence and boost for her upcoming matches. "And I believe in myself more. I know I can play with the top players," the German added.
Bartoli on the other hand fell to a 7-10 record in the WTA finals. The French won in straight sets in their last three meetings against Kerber.
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