Marion Bartoli destroys Alona Bondarenko in second round – Western & Southern Open 2011
Number one Frenchwoman, Marion Bartoli moved into the third round of the 2011 Western and Southern Open on Tuesday, 16th August after she destroyed Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko in straight sets 6-1, 6-2 in their second
round match. Seeded eighth in the event, in the absence of Belgian mama, Kim Clijsters, Bartoli is part of a wide field of superstars, competing for the coveted prize at the Lindner Family Tennis Centre in Cincinnati, Ohio.
A seed here, Bartoli had received a bye into the second round while Bondarenko had survived a mid match lapse against Ayumi Morita in her opening match here. Sporting an already impressive 5-1 head-to-head mark, the Frenchwoman
entered her second round match and her seventh meeting with the Ukrainian brimming with confidence and power.
Opening serve in the first set, Bartoli comfortably sailed to her first game win as she rushed to make her mark on the scoreboard. A far superior and more able player, Bartoli started her decimation of the Ukrainian in the very
first return game. Breaking Bondarenko with much ease, Bartoli led the first set 2-0. Though the Ukrainian broke back in the third game, Bartoli was keen on returning any and every favour. An exchange of break later, the Frenchwoman was still leading the first
set by two games, sporting a 3-1 score. A successful hold of serve and yet another break later, the Frenchwoman was left serving for the set at 5-1. Losing absolutely no points in the seventh game, Bartoli struck back-to-back winners before clinching her breadstick
victory with an ace at 40-0.
Taking a little over half hour, the Frenchwoman hit four aces and committed two double faults. Although she left something to be desired in her first serve accuracy (52%), she more than made up for it with an 82% win on it. Clinching
a total of 26 of 39 points, Bartoli sailed to a one set lead in the match.
The second set started on somewhat the same note. A break in the very first game gave Bartoli the lead she needed to wrap up a quick straight sets win as she capitalised on it to clinch a massive 3-1 lead early on. Another lucky
break came the Frenchwoman’s way in the fifth game when Bondarenko failed to nab a single point on her serve, giving Bartoli another boost in her already huge lead. From there on the match was pretty much decided for as a continuous hold of serve from both
players, left Bartoli comfortably serving out the set at 5-2.
In a match that lasted sixty three minutes, Bartoli hit a total of five aces and converted five of seven break point opportunities to her advantage. Winning 51 of 80 points in the match, the Frenchwoman was able to secure a 6-1,
6-2 win and a spot in the third round where she will next play either Flavia Pennetta or Daniela Hantuchova.
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