Marion Bartoli, a quarter-finalist in last year’s Australian Open, took a set to warm up in her first match of the year before eventually steam-rolling Paraguayan Rossana de los Rios 6-4 6-1 on Tuesday.
Bartoli, the 11th seed, showed no signs of the injuries that had forced her to retire from her last two tournaments, but began sluggishly on a chilly Show Court 2. The Frenchwoman was caught out several times by feathery de los Rios drop shots, with the Paraguayan repeatedly testing her opponent’s movement while looking to find a way to victory.
With a 0-3 win-loss record against her opponent, de los Rios was the underdog, and her service was broken early. One of three mothers in the draw, the 34-year-old managed to break back and level 4-4.
Bartoli redoubled her efforts and the power of her shots, eager to finish the set. In the ninth game, de los Rios attempted the drop shot once too often, and Bartoli chased it down and broke. Sucking in deep breaths between points, Bartoli held serve and took the set 6-4.
Though many of the ball kids had a few inches on Bartoli, her game grew in stature, and by the end of the match she was forcing the ball crisply around the court. A down-hearted de los Rios, world-ranked No. 97, had been beaten twice before by Bartoli in the first round of a Grand Slam. She must have felt déjà vu as the second set raced away, having nothing to offer once Bartoli’s court speed improved.
Though the Paraguayan’s first serve percentage was high throughout the game (74 per cent), it lacked penetration against Bartoli’s double-handed groundstrokes. She could muster only 14 points and a single game in the one-sided final set.
No comments:
Post a Comment