2009 US OPEN
2nd Round

Match Summary

High octane tennis from the racquet of Marion Bartoli enabled the French number 1 to dictate play throughout the first set of this highly anticipated encounter. Marion looked to have found those much hoped for solutions against the Belgian, and for the first time in four meetings took a set off the former US Open champion - applying relentless pressure on the former world number 1. At times Marion played top class tennis befitting a top class player, and that's encouraging.

However from 40-0 up in her first service game of the 2nd set things began to falter, "Unfortunately, I had a bit of a bar (hurdle) early in the second set and she managed to pass over. I knew I had to play 100% of my ability all the time to get to win. I got to do a set. Unfortunately, I fell a little on the second set, I should be at 80-85%. That was enough for her to pass over."

Clijsters errant forehand was now finding greater accuracy, and the top Frenchy's serve was becoming less consistent; Second serves which Clijsters could exploit, and a double fault tally that a top player will punish.

True to her word, Marion never gave up the set or the match, at 4-0 down she retrieved a break of serve for 4-1. However Clijsters quickly levelled the match at one set all.

Although no reference has been made to this in the text released at time of writing, Marion received a medical time out at the end of the 2nd set. The bothersome left thigh was bandaged up again. But slightly less in focus is the fact Marion was munching down an energy bar with great enthusiasm. Did Marion have what we used to call in cycling the 'knock', or runners 'wall'? The contrast in the scoreline between the first set and the remainder of the match is stark. Could there have been a depletion of energy? Only she can say.

Marion's impairment didn't impede her opponent’s ability to keep up the pressure. After the first five games of the 3rd set Clijsters was leading 3-2 and a break, the 26 year old had the momentum, and soon wrapped up the match.

Retrospectively, I discovered a few words Marion said the other day on Europe 1; she pointed out that this was not at all like Lindsay Davenport's comeback, but in view of Kim's condition was a quite different proposition.

Possibly in a part inquisitive tone, Marion reaffirmed the points she's made over recent weeks, "One has the impression that she has never stopped competing."

Impact

Typically a 2nd round exit at the US Open by Marion Bartoli would be considered a big disappointment. However, this exit isn't in my view comparable with the exits experienced by other French players. Marion is a good player who happened to lose to a good player. The fact that they both met in the 2nd round of a major, borders on the absurd. But that's the highly arbitrary nature of this years draw, with top class players like Sharapova and Clijsters always destined to meet other top seeds at a premature stage of the tournament. If the draw had fallen another way this match-up could so easily have been a semi final or even a US Open final tie. So the result has to be put in context, and positives can be taken from the fact she asked more questions of Clijsters than she has ever done before. She promised she would, and she did. She was just unable to maintain that level, pass over each hurdle, for the whole of the match.

The fallout from this unfortunate 2nd round collision means that Marion could lose ranking points, and may slip in the ranking a bit, but that's all arithmetic for another day, and not irretrievable.

So the Pointers Sisters comeback has had to be shelved for another time. The mood is a little more dissonant now. For Steve Tignor, It's Monk and Coltrane on a drive back from Indian Wells. For me.. just listen.

Marion's next scheduled event is Tokyo 27 Sept. Here

*Quotes via Sophie Dorgan of L'Equipe in New York. French translation.

Edit 17:00 - Sat Sep 05 2009 (typo corrections)