Marion Bartoli defeated Ana Ivanovic in the quarter-final of the BNP Paribas Open
World number seventeen, Marion Bartoli of France edged over former world number one, Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in the quarter-final of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California. Bartoli strained hard to defeat her opponent
in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6(4), taking two hours and eight minutes to qualify for the semi-final of the tournament.
It was a hard-fought battle for the French to beat Ivanovic and register her 14thvictory in the current Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) season. Bartoli avenged her last year’s defeat at Beijing from Ivanovic, improving
her head-to-head record to 3-4 against the Serb. Bartoli got access to the quarter-final when Kim Clijsters forfeited her match against her, for the reason of shoulder injury in the fourth round.
Winner of five WTA titles, Bartoli displayed her mental steel on the hard courts of Indian Wells once again by defeating the Strong Serb contender. Her low first serve percentage of 58 didn’t cost her much as she kept breaking
her opponent’s serve on regularity. Bartoli was awarded 14 break chances from Ivanovic but the French merely converted seven of them. She collected 79 out of a total of 154 points to advance to the semi-final of the Paribas Open.
The contest was fairly poised with momentum swinging to both ends throughout the game. Bartoli’s aggressive start was well met by Ivanovic and the two contestants exchanged early serve breaks. The Serb capitalized on the three
double faults from the French to belt her second break point to lead 4-3 in the opener.
It appeared for a moment as if Ivanovic will take the set comprehensively but an outstanding comeback from Bartoli stunned everyone. The 26-year-old French bounced back into the game by reeling off three straight games, breaking
Ivanovic’s serve twice and sealing the first set 6-4. She won 38 points in total in the opening set with her opponent following her with 35 points.
Bartoli raised her serve to 67 per cent in the next set and had a strict check over the double faults. The second set was a magnificent display of professional tennis from both players, stuffed with a number of serve breaks and
down the line winners from the contestants. Ivanovic dug deep in the second set and stung four serve breaks to the French. Bartoli had all the answers to the Serb and crafted nine break opportunities, converting four of them to level the competition at 6-6
to enforce a tie breaker.
The former world number one failed to handle the pressure in the decider and Bartoli seized victory at 7-6(4) to make it to the round of four at the BNP Paribas Open. The French will take on the 23rd seed Belgian, Yanina
Wickmayer in the semi-final at the Indian wells. Wickmayer defeated Shahar Peer of Israel in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, in the quarter-final to fight Bartoli for a chance to get a title shot in the final.
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