Marion Bartoli had to beat two Chinese girls in a row to win her first title in almost three years. In the final she defeated Na Li 6/4 6/3.
"I feel really good about how I played the whole week. I had some tough matches, not just today but also in the semifinals. They were both two sets but tough. I hit some great shots at the right moment. I'm happy about my level." Bartoli said."My first three titles came in 2006 when I was younger and not really expecting to win. So it's understandable why those ones were more emotional. But it's always nice to win titles, and this is a great one. Now I'm hoping to start winning bigger tournaments, and I hope I can keep playing like this in Indian Wells and Miami." said this week's champion.
Bartoli worked tremendously hard in the off season and all the hard work is paying off. She drasticly lost on weight and seems to be faster around the court than last year. It has been a great decision and the great results just underline it.
The tournament win wasn't the only thing the Frenchwoman managed to achieve this week. By defeating Jie Zheng in the semis, she notched up her 300th career win.
"It makes me feel old - 300 already, oh my gosh! I don't normally think about the wins but it's great. I focus on winning titles, not about how many matches I've win. But of course I'm happy about it!" said Bartoli.
It was a very disappointing week for the Radwanska sisters, as both girls lost to their Chinese rivals. Ula lost to Zheng. Agnieszka, the top seed and only player who was ranked in the top ten. lost 6/7 6/4 0/6 to resurgent Na Li. The Chinese missed out on the Australian summer, as she had to withdraw from Brisbane, Sydney and Australian Open due to a right knee injury. She's once again starting a comeback of her own and a final must have lifted her spirits. Li is known as always-injured bighitter, who on a given day can beat absolutely anybody. Her 12 career top ten wins are a proof of that. If she only could play a whole season without an injury...
It was also a week to remember for Iveta Benesova, who reached back to back semifinals in Mexico. This achievement has pushed the Czech to a career high of 29. This is the first time, she's in the top 30.
~jachal
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