BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC > STANFORD UNIVERSITY CAMPUS > STANFORD USA > TIER II > ROUND 1

On Bastille day Marion presented her compatriots back home with a storming victory to celebrate.

From the first game of the match, Marion eagerly pressured Amanmuradova's serve. 

After a jittery hold for the Uzbek, Marion just grabbed the match from her opponents reach, and took charge of proceedings for the next hour,

With multiple double faults, 2nd serves, and even a foot fault, Amanmuradova barely took a point for the remainder of the set.

By contrast Marion was getting the first serves in, and winning games to Love.

In little more than twenty minutes at the Taube Family Stadium, Marion sealed the first set 6-1.

2ND SET

A new set is always a new proposition, especially where Marion Bartoli is concerned this season! Would Marion's challenge subside in the 2nd set once again? Or would France's finest come out fighting as she's famed for?  

Bastille day could have passed off as Groundhog day, because sure enough Akgul began to grow in stature in the match, and took an early break.. Here we go again.. ?

The 2nd serves and double faults now began to creep into Marions's game a little bit.

Game on.

Marion was up for a fight, and broke back immediately for 1-1.

Akgul quickly broke to 15, and then held her following service game to lead 3-1 in the 2nd set.

What happened next showed Marion's character last night, battling to get the break back snatching game-point off Amanmuradova in the process. 

By midway in the 2nd set things where all square at 3-3. Which way would the penduluum swing now?

A commanding hold to 15 put Marion 4-3 up. With the match back on-topic, pressuring the Amanmuradova serve, the effects of the pressure was now showing on Amanmuradova's game. The lethargic leviathan sought to swim to the safety of serving aces. More often than not Amanmuradova just served up 2nd serves and double faults.

On her third game point Marion got the break to go 5-3 up. All Marion had to do next was serve out..!

As is often the case for players in these situations, this particular juncture in a match can be real, agonising, sweaty palms stuff.

Amanmuradova went 15-30 up..

Then Marion won the following two points and earned her first matchpoint..

Deuce.

Then matchpoint 2 For Marion..

Deuce again..

Then matchpoint 3 for Marion..

Done. 

Game Set And Match Miss Bartoli, 6-3 6-1, in 1 hr 08 min.

In this complete mismatch of height - Amanmuradova is almost 10 inches taller than Marion - Our two-handed tear-away showed just how she reached the dizzying heights of the Top 10 for a year. This winning start at Stanford shows her desire to climb the ladder back to the top 10.

Well done Marion.