Marion Bartoli works over Petra Kvitova; clinches her sixth WTA title – AEGON International 2011
The French tennis star, Marion Bartoli managed to defeat Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in a grueling final match at the AEGON International 2011 to claim her first title
at the tournament and sixth at the WTA (Women tennis Association) tour.
The 26-year-old Bartoli, who like Kvitova had to wait to play the rain-delayed semi-final, displayed considerable self-composure and gutsiness to win the match in three
sets 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. With this win, the French woman has improved her year-to-date win-loss mark to 37-8 matches.
Bartoli powered up her engine and clinched the first set in a very aggressive fashion, breaking her Czech opponent twice. And regardless of a below-par second set and hamstring
injury scare, the French No.1 successfully managed to pull off a deserving victory in a nervy finale.
She continued to play tremendously and consolidated her lead with a second break in the sixth games with a staggering winner down the line but her authority did not last
longer as Kvitova started to show some of her trademark tennis.
The French lady did lead at 3-1 but her Czech opponent cut the deficit to 3-3 after having some words of encouragement from her coach. The Aussie started to find the range
of her ground strokes, claiming the next two games to lead 5-3 before holding on to her serve and serving out the second set in 44 minutes.
As the final set started, both women tried hard to hold on to their serve and although the French woman failed to escort the match when serving at 5-4, she broke again to
lead 6-5 and a backhand error by the Czech woman handed over her the maiden grass court title of her six years of tennis career.
Bartoli, who had to play her semi-final and final match in the same day, said. “Playing two matches back-to-back in the same day, I wasn't used to that anymore. It reminds
me of my junior days, but I think it was an entertaining match. Petra was hitting the ball very hard and deep, so all credit to her for coming back. I was fighting and trying to find a way to win."
She won her match with a single ace while committing four double-faults. In addition she won 60 percent on her service, 43 percent on return, and a total of 94 of 179 in
total to clinch the match in two hours and nineteen minutes.
Emerging victorious, Bartoli now moves on to London, where she will continue her grass-court effort at Wimbledon.
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