3 6, 6 2, 6 4
An interview with:
MARION BARTOLI
Q. You didn't really start well, and then you turned the match around. What was the key, according to you?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, the key to me was to move forward into the court and to play a game that would be much more aggressive.
It had been a long time. I had not played against her since last year. She's improved so much. On this surface I can tell you that she gives a lot of spin and I had to move backward to start with, and then I thought, I've got to change my strategy. I have to move forward.
It was a bit difficult to start with, to adjust my game, but then when my game was adjusted, I managed to play an excellent tennis sometimes.
Q. In the last set it seems that it was a never ending game, and then you managed to reach 5 4, and then...
MARION BARTOLI: Well, you know, it was like I was leading 0 15, and then she had a dropped ball. She was despaired, and then I had a counter drop ball shot. The ball was like stuck in the head of my racquet, and after this, it was 5 2, and the wind was against me. She had an advantage for her.
I knew that at 5 4, the wind for me, I had more opportunities of finishing the match, and then I played an excellent game and it was 5 4 and then 6 4. But the key was then, this 4 1 to 5 1 game, the wind was in my back and I had to stay in the game.
Q. How do you feel now that you've gone through nine sets?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, physically I feel really good. I feel fit. I'm ready. I'm fitter than ever. Longitudinally I practice. I don't do this in winter, so, physically speaking, I can improve during the year. Today this is really good for me, because in terms of recovery, I recover a lot faster than before, and my intensity on the court is a lot better, as well.
So all the work I put in during the year is good. Sometimes it's difficult. Some days it's difficult. But now I'm more steady, and I'm really ready.
Q. If you look at the draw, next time you're going to play against Dulko, and...
MARION BARTOLI: Well, that's enough, that's enough for the time being. Dulko, that's all. Don't want to look after this.
Gisela, you know, she's a girl who how can I say loves clay. She's a clay player. Today she defeated Sam Stosur who played semis here and the finals, as well, here.
So a big player on clay. Yet, if my game is aggressive enough, I think I can beat her.
So I'll try and recover well tomorrow. I have one day off to rest, and then it's going to be 100% on Sunday. But each match at a time.
Q. Without talking about the draw, what's your No. 1 objective? You wanted to reach the round of 16? You've made it. Just like in 2007. So the first objective is met.
MARION BARTOLI: Absolutely. This was my objective to start with. Julia Goerges, a seeded player, in the third round, this is a difficult round. She played so well on clay, and with what she won in Stuttgart and the semis in Madrid, so she was really fit on this type of surface.
But for me to reach this level is something good to start with. Of course I don't want to stop here. I'll continue. I'll try and practice the same type of tennis and have the same attitude on the court.
Q. What were you thinking about when the match point was played and then the crowd was there supporting you 100%? What were you thinking?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, a lot of joy, extreme and intense happiness. A lot of adrenaline. And when we shake hands and then it's finished two minutes after, you think about the next match. So it's a moment of pure bliss.
But it doesn't last. It's a special moment, because my family is here, all of them, to support me. Plus the crowd with me, as well. So it's an extreme happiness. It's really intense.
But it's so short. Then you have to think about the future and the next match, and that has to be prepared when you're off the courts, when you've won. Immediately, right now you have to start thinking about the next round, which is what I'm doing.
Q. What about the second set that you won at 6 2 and 0 winning strokes?
MARION BARTOLI: 0 winning strokes?
Q. Yes. Does that mean that it was tactical?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, when I serve at 170 on the line and she makes a mistake, it's not a winning stroke?
I don't agree with this stance.
Q. It's a compliment, because it means that strategically and tactically you were stronger during the second set.
MARION BARTOLI: Yes, absolutely. You know, when I was down 4 0, I had to adjust my tactics, because, as I said before, and I had not played against her for a year, so sometimes if you play against her on some parts of the court, I couldn't return the ball. So I had to avoid these zones, these areas on the court.
On the contrary, I had to focus on other parts, on a restricted area on the court where I could play either to have unforced errors or perhaps to provoke errors from her.
But the key was to take more time and to play in very specific zones on the court.
Q. You were talking about bliss and being in tune with the crowd. Have you ever felt this at Roland Garros?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, last time it was that intense it's when I defeated Dementieva on the Lenglen in 2007. It was once on a match. Whereas now it's been three matches. I have been totally in tune with the crowd. The crowd supports me. I have difficulties to start with. There are moments when I feel there are difficulties, and then I can turn the match around and I can have the upper hand.
And I think that people love that. When they see that I am the winner, I think, when I show this attitude of a winner on the court, I'll never give up.
Today to start with it was difficult. I got off to a very bad start, and then little by little I changed the trend, and I won the match.
So this is going to help me, that's sure. It's going to help me in terms of this relationship with the crowd here. But also it's going to help me with the rest of the season because I can turn around this type of match and then afterwards I can win in front of my crowd here at Roland Garros. And this is going to give me a lot of confidence for the end of the tournament here and the rest of the season.
Q. What about your injury in Strasbourg? Is it totally finished, or is it hurting, or when you warm up, as you say, you can't feel it any longer?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, it's still a bit painful when I wake up in the morning, when I'm cold. And then when I've started practicing on the court or when I started playing on the court, I can't feel anything any longer. Or due to adrenaline during the match I can't feel anything any longer. I don't know. But, anyway, I feel better and better with time.
And also, in the morning when I'm cold it hurts a little, but then during the day that's okay when I've started.
Q. There is a detail. What are the zones in the court that you wanted to avoid?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, you've seen her forehand. When I was playing mainly in the direction of the court, her forehand was so powerful. It was really hurting me.
But then if I could hit a strong forehand so that she would almost leave the court, it would be okay.
Otherwise, no, it was difficult for me when I crossed the balls or along the lines, it was so powerful I couldn't do anything. So it was her backhand and also the right hand.
So during the third set the external ace was really good for me, because I had been serving on her backhand for several times in a row so she expected this. But she's improved so much on her forehand, she can do so many variations on her forehand, so it's very difficult to win a point on her forehand.
No comments:
Post a Comment