(Photo: Marion Bartoli Fan Blog)
Warming up against Yung Jan Chang
2009 Wimbledon Championships
Round 1
The Build Up
So you wait a year till Wimbledon comes round again, you travel to London from some place in the middle of know here, You queue for four hours, you enter the grounds, mill around with the crowd, take in the atmosphere and a bit of this or that match here and there. You wait as two men slug it out over five sets on court 18, you take your seat for the prelude to the main act - another couple of guys equally intent on slugging out their own "self-loathing" As Peter Bodo recently put it, you set aside murmurs and whispers of "it looks like it might rain.." And you just know as each hour passes, that the main act may be switched to another court.. you just don't know which one, so you keep checking twitter on your mobile phone, anxious for any news of a court change.
You get the word on twitter from some kind soul that the match has been switched - just like the previous year - You make a beeline for the exit during change of ends and cross over to the more compact court 19, and you arrive just in time to see something that seems like 5 or 10 minutes of.. what.. Intoxicating joy? Euphoria? Or judging by your's trully's tweets.. epiphany??
But no, it’s just good. This is what it's all about. Last year I was lucky to have the opportunity to see Marion's winning return to centre court in the first round. This year I got to see what I think is Marion's first double bagel in the two year's-plus I have been following her. Simply, awesome! C'est magnifique!!
The Match
In the opening game of the match Marion received serve, and immediately put the 19 year old from Taipei under pressure. The first game was the longest of the match, which culminated in a break of serve, from then on, Marion just continued to bulldoze the opposition.
It's not as if Marion's opponent couldn't play tennis. Whenever this recent top 50 player actually earned a point, the point was usually a good one and well received by a largely muted crowd. Well constructed points that got Marion moving, and gave a small party of flag waving Taipanese fans at least something to cheer about.
But on the whole, points like this were a rarity for Chan last night.
From a Marion Bartoli perspective what has to be encouraging is how her opponent had to play out of her skin it seemed just to even obtain the odd point here or there.
It used to be said that when you play against Marion Bartoli your objective should be to expose a lack of mobility. But after one particular point, I turned to another Marion fan and said "a year ago she might not have got to a ball like that"(thinking back to a point in the Mattek match from last year)
Marion was unwell back then, troubled by glandular fever, but seeing her last night in the flesh, it was abundantly clear that this young woman has been working her guts off quite literally, over this past 12 months. She is slimmer yes, but without making a compromise on her wonderfully combative physique.
The French number 1’s mission is now as well defined as her cheek bones. And if it’s true that form follows function, then this woman who demolished her opponent last night has a serve motion like a bulldozer; feet firmly planted and spread like tracks, a torso strong and secure like a cabin, and a body tilted at an angle of 45 degrees, arms stretched in front of her like the hydraulic overhang of a digger, it is all so blatantly different that even dilettante’s can see, and outsiders are compelled.
Constantly revising training and technique, Walter and Marion have introduced another innovation.. the ball bounce!! Yes, Marion is now bouncing the ball as she prepares to serve. It isn’t a convincing bounce.. It’s ball bounce Lite. Gingerly and delicately About three times before the ball toss. Nor is Marion bouncing the ball before every serve. She’ll bounce the ball in one game, but not in the next. Random, but effective. And after all that’s what tennis is all about. Keeping your opponent guessing what your going to come out with next
Perhaps some tennis aficionado’s haven’t always greeted this stuff with quite so much enthusiasm; Some don’t dig her style. But if the method isn’t compelling for them, the way she shovels up results on grass should be.
Only one or two sports journalists consider Marion a possible contender for the Wimbledon title. But At Eastbourne and here at Wimbledon, Marion has shown once again that on this surface you write her off at your peril. She certainly isn’t here to make up the numbers.
It was my immense privilege to have seen Marion’s excellent start to what we hope will be an outstanding fortnight for this special girl.
Tired happy and fist pumping my way home on the Tube.
Quizzed about the Eastbourne injury fear Marion said, "the diagnosis was very uncertain. But in fact it was a big spasm. What is reassuring is that I have not had pain in my thigh. I know that level of play I am at, this time on grass,"
"I played a lot of points winners, few direct mistakes." Marion described it as, "almost a perfect match," and continued, "I do not feel the same pressure at Wimbledon When I come back here, I immediately smile.”
“What happened here in 2007 changed my life, my career."
Sophie Dorgan Article
(Updated 17:03 23/06/09)
Sophie Dorgan is in town, and has a great little write up about the match for L’Equipe.
Marion said regarding the Razzano debacle, "I completely forgot what happened before and what I know is that I played well at the moment on grass. I'm going forward. I ignored what had happened and I am focused on areas of my game.”
So that’s clear. And it’s good to hear. I only wish I hadn’t left the last Eastbourne entry up on the website quite so long. Just busy.
I love this bit from Sophie Dorgan where she says Marion’s next opponent Timea Bacszinsky “should prepare to see a tornado sweeping.”
All I really remember about Bacszinsky is she’s a young lady that burst onto the scene last year by reaching the final in Antwerp. She lost to Justine Henin. But since then I haven’t heard much about her.
My firm expectation was that Marion would beat Chan in straight sets,but who could have foretold that Marion would offer up double bagel for supper on Monday evening. Chan had no answer to Marion’s relentless power and new found sharpness around court, it really was impressive guys.
PS. Sorry I didn’t take more photos, but I didn’t want to risk distracting Marion during the match.
You will be more efficient for R2. Enjoy.