The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Marion Bartoli wins maiden grasscourt title

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Marion Bartoli wins maiden grasscourt title

LONDON: Sixth seed Marion Bartoli overcame blustery winds, a groin injury and a determined fightback from Czech Petra Kvitova to win the Eastbourne grass court Wimbledon warm-up tournament 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 on Saturday.

After losing in the semifinals on the English south coast for the last four years, the 26-year-old Frenchwoman held on to win a topsy-turvy final in two hours and 15 minutes to complete her preparation for Wimbledon which starts on Monday.

Bartoli was the first to master the windy conditions and breezed through the opening set in 30 minutes, with her 21-year-old opponent making a series of loose shots and unforced forehand errors.

The second set started in much the same way with Bartoli, seeded ninth at Wimbledon, one rung below Kvitova, racing into a 3-1 lead and seemingly set for the title.

But the match began to turn when Kvitova's coach David Kotyza came down from the stands to give her a few words of encouragement after a poor start and, whatever he said, it clearly worked.

She began to find her range and form, winning the next three games to lead 4-3 before holding on to take the second set in 44 minutes.

Bartoli's control of the game seemed to ebb further away in the third game of the final set.

She went off for treatment to a groin strain, but although she was limping, the set went with serve until Bartoli took control again in the seventh game to lead 4-3 after fifth seed Kvitova served three double faults.

Bartoli then had a chance to seal the title on her own serve, but Kvitova chose the perfect time to break for 5-5.

The Frenchwoman broke serve immediately to regain the lead and then held her serve to win when Kvitova landed a return wide.

It was the second match of the day for both women at the rain-affected tournament.

Earlier, Bartoli beat Australian Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-1 in her semifinal while the left-handed Kvitova was leading Daniela Hantuchova 7-6, 4-2 when the Slovak retired with an abdominal strain.

Vinci triumphs

Italian seventh seed Roberta Vinci saw off Australian Jelena Dokic 6-7(9), 6-3, 7-5 to win the WTA tournament at Rosmalen, adding the crown to an earlier success this season in Barcelona.

Dokic went down fighting in staving off three match points, but finally conceded after 2hr 5min on court as Vinci landed her fifth career title.

Former Wimbledon semifinalist Dokic said the weather conditions had made life difficult, but saluted her opponent.

“The conditions were difficult, the wind, the cold, it wasn't easy. But that takes nothing away from Roberta, who was a deserved winner. She didn't crack on the big points.”

Dokic, who landed her first title in nine years at Kuala Lumpur earlier this season, insisted that her run in the Netherlands would stand her in good stead for Wimbledon, where in 1999, she caused a sensation by dumping out former World No. 1 Martina Hingis in the opening round.

The results:

At Eastbourne (Easbourne grasscourt event):

Men: Semifinals: Janko Tipsarevic bt Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-4; Andreas Seppi bt Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Women: Final: Marion Bartoli bt Petra Kvitova 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

Semifinals: Petra Kvitova bt Daniela Hantuchova 7-6 (11), 4-2 (retired); Marion Bartoli bt Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-1.

At Rosmalen:

Final: Men: Dmitry Tursunov bt Ivan Dodig 6-3, 6-2.

Women: Roberta Vinci bt Jelena Dokic 6-7(9), 6-3, 7-5 . — Agencies

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