Marion Bartoli ends Lucie Safarova’s dream run in the quarter-finals – Qatar Total Open 2012
Rated at number seven in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) World Rankings, Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli had to go through some tough channels before registering an emphatic victory over the surprise opponent, Lucie Safarova, in
the quarter-finals of the Qatar Total Open. The enthralling three-setter was played on the indoor hard courts of Doha, Qatar, on Friday, with the fifth seed Bartoli winning 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, to earn a place in the final-four of the Premier-level tournament.
The French contender was already 4-1 up in the head-to-head series against Safarova prior to their Friday’s match. She took off the contest with sheer confidence but had to counter some late resistance from the unseeded Czech opponent
before sealing the opener. Safarova backfired at Bartoli in the following set and drew the scores back to even terms. Another huge momentum swing was witnessed in the final set, with the hard-hitting fifth seed powering her way to victory with a breadstick.
Safarova has been in sublime form throughout the tournament and fought extremely well before losing the match in the end. The 28th ranked Czech came under the lime light when she stunned the former world number one and
the second seed Dane, Caroline Wozniacki, in the second round of the tournament earlier this week. She continued with her winning momentum in the third round and produced another surprising result by beating the former world number two, Svetlana Kuznetsova,
to book a date with Bartoli. Safarova’s amazing run finally came to an end at the hands of the fifth seed French but it took some gruelling effort from Bartoli to dispose of the crafty Czech from the competition.
"It was a really hard battle," Bartoli said. "I think we both used a lot of energy in the first and second sets, so the turning point for me was to stay strong early in the third set. Once I got the early break the momentum started
to roll my way."
Safarova did brilliantly well to pocket the second set but two successive break point conversions from Bartoli left her answerless in the end. She couldn’t construct a single break opportunity in the third set and eventually submitted
at 1-6 in the end.
"Marion was playing very fast and deep," Safarova said. "I fell behind in the beginning of the third set and it was tough to get back because she was playing very well. But it was a good tournament for me. I had good wins against
Caroline and Svetlana. But now I need a few days of rest!"
Bartoli will face off Samantha Stosur from Australia in the semi-final battle of the tournament.
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