magdalena rybarikova

Commonwealth Bank Tournament Of Champions
Nusa Dua, Bali
GROUP STAGE

No Dilli Dallying By Bartoli in Bali

Indoor courts can have the same variables as their outdoor equivalents, some are carpet, some are hard, some even clay following this year’s innovation at Stuttgart. Yet even among the hard indoor variety there is a multiplicity of variables in terms of speed, movement, and bounce.

One of the blog's astute visitors commented that the speed of the indoor court will be a benefit to Marion in this tournament, and if the outcome of this result is anything to go by, then this observation is right on the ball. Yet it seems even for Marion Bartoli, a veritable connoisseur of fast hard court tennis, still had to hit the ground running today. "The conditions were pretty difficult because the court is very fast and it’s not easy to get used to it." She said after the match "There is only the one court and we are 12 players so you can’t get a lot of time to practise on it. And it’s the end of the year and everyone is tired so it’s not easy."

Winning the first eight points of the match to rush into a 2-0 lead, Marion's opponent quickly levelled the score at 2-2. The tournament’s top ranking player immediately seized the initiative again for a 4-2 lead. Facing little challenge in point scoring terms, Marion retained a one break lead and served the set out confidently, 6-4.

As the match progressed, the talented young Slovakian really began to find her feet, and nothing separated either player for most of the set, but the French number 1 almost shot herself in the foot with consecutive double faults in the 7th game - she survived.

Marion's opponent served up some big shots in the next game, with aces and a double fault. Yet after returning to deuce three times, Rybarikova's battle royale ended in a surrender of a break at a highly critical juncture of the match. 5-4

The Monterrey and Stanford titleholder made no mistake as she wrapped up the contest with her first match point, winning the final game to 30 for a 6-4 6-4 scoreline.

"I’m really happy to win in two sets. I was quite happy with the level of the game. But I’m really pleased to be part of this tournament. It’s a great one to finish the year and I will really try my best to finish well."

A great pledge and a great result today from Marion. Magdalena Rybarikova has offered stiff and powerful resistance to Marion throughout their four contests, so this win can only help keep Marion's confidence high.

One thing we have learned from the results on day 1 of the Commonwealth Bank Tournament Of Champions is the positive statement made about the competitive depth of women's tennis; Firstly, there was an upset with Marion's compatriot Aravane Rezai beating the much fancied Sabine Lisicki. Then Kimiko Date-Krumm can consider herself a little agrieved at losing the first set in a tie break (5) against the ascendant Belgian, Yanina Wickmayer. The Belgian then broke away at 3-3 in the 2nd set, but not before the much admired veteran gave the girl less than half her age something to think about. Lastly Agnes Szavay took another high flying filly Sam Stosur to three sets before the Aussie finally put the Hungie away, and so wrap up the evening’s entertainment at the Bali convention center.

Last week yours truly clumsily drew some arbitrary line between the top players in Bali and the others. But in actual fact the intrinsic set up of this tournament distinguishes it from all other tournaments except Doha YEC. The concept of this tournament forms a convincing showcase of all that's good and all that's promising in women's tennis today. That's why this tournament is arranged as a round robin mini league, instead of a pyramid model, ie; with one win and your through, or one loss and your eliminated.

Every player in Bali this week has a tangible opportunity to take home another trophy to add to the one or more they have each won this season already. This event seems to be shaping up as nice addition to the tour calendar.

Tomorrow's group match sees Peer take on Rybarikova, and Marion play next on Friday

Don't forget to check the twitter feed. Lots of interesting stuff coming through the wires today., and chack out the tournament website who have put up another gallery of excellent photos.

Match Statistics

Player	M  Bartoli FRA	M Rybarikova SVK
Aces	1	5
Double Faults	4	4
1st Serve %	58%	58%
1st Serve Pts Won	68%	64%
2nd Serve Pts Won	68%	40%
Break Points Saved	1/2	6/9
Service Games Played	10	10
1st Serve Return Pts Won	36%	32%
2nd Serve Return Pts Won	60%	32%
Break Points Won	3/9	1/2
Return Games Played	10	10
Total Service Pts Won	68%	54%
Total Return Pts Won	46%	32%
Total Pts Win	56%	44%
Duration	1hr 38mins 01secs
Fan Blog Moodset

GROUP A	GROUP B	GROUP C	GROUP D
M Bartoli FRA S Peer ISR M Rybarikova SVK	S Stsour AUS M J Martinez Sanchez ESP A Szavay HUN	Y Wickmayer BEL A Medina Garrigues ESP K Date-Krumm JPN	S Lisicki GER M Czink HUN A Rezai FRA

 

Commonwealth Bank Tournament Of Champions
Bali International Convention Center
4-8 Nov 2009
Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia
WTA $600,000
Surface – Indoor Hard
Format – 12 player round robin (4 groups of 3 players)

FULL PREVIEW

TIGNOR'S TAKE - On his blog last month Steve Tignor recognised how Marion "Bartoli had what looked like a promising summer stolen away by Kim Clijsters, who beat her at two tournaments, one of which was the U.S. Open. Now that Clijsters is safely back at home, maybe Bartoli can pick up where she left off in Stanford."

RECOVERY – With a quarter final in Tokyo and semi final in Beijing, Marion has indeed recovered well from the Clijsters double-wammy. Even before the season has came to a close you can see from the graph below, Marion has performed better this season compared with the other seasons she has been a top 20 player. A statistic which corroborates the result of a recent blog poll about Marion’s level of play.

FATIGUE - However during her most recent tournament in Osaka she complained of having "a little tendinitis that I had already had at Stanford," explaining that, "The end of season is hard for girls who, like me, have much heavier ball. I hope to recuperate." (L'Equipe) The following day the French number 1 retired from her match with Sania Mirza, this time with a painful shoulder tendon problem.

With a whole month between the end of the US Open and the start of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, you may ask how Marion could feel such tiredness and fatigue? The answer is when you are a professional athlete you always have to maintain your condition, a state of readiness. Even between tournaments it is always defcon 4 with team Bartoli, and defcon 5 when noble hostilities resume. So there is never really any off-time in the literal sense.

LA BIDASSE EN BALI - Now, nearing the end of this season’s battle, the walking wounded soldiers on bravely. Hero and all that. It's therefore quite appropriate that the tennis season should end in paradise! The provincial coastal idyll of Bali has a vibrant cultural life, terrific appetite for leisure and sporting interests, and a renowned reputation for welcoming visitors from all around the world. With its gently lapping waves and beach lifestyle Bali is a suitable final tour stop for la bidasse Bartoli, but she isn't there to convalecse.. The outdoor forecast for the next five days is 32c, and the competition at the Bali Convention Center in Nusa Dua is sure to be hot come the start of the tournament on Wednesday. As for the indoor forecast; Stosur, Wickmayer, Peer, and Lisicki look to be main challengers to Marion Bartoli. However the 2006 runner up enters the reincarnated Commonwealth Bank event as the top ranked player this time, and overwhelming favorite to win the title according to blog visitors. Let's now take a look at four potential obstacles in Marion's path..

SAM STOSUR - is fresh from winning her first singles title and has enjoyed a great year, which included a semi final finish at the French Open. Upon taking the title in Osaka, Stosur beamed, “My next goal is to reach the top 10 for which I would need to play like today, every day.”

Her manager Paul Kilderry thinks, “If she can maintain that consistency I think it’s just a matter of time.” Osaka is “the culmination of a great year", reflected Kilderry. "..obviously her ranking and her level of play’s been very consistent from the start of the year and it’s a nice reward for a lot of hard work." Stosur's website,

At Stanford Marion pointed out Stosur is a player on the rise, a player with a huge serve, and a player in the running for a place in the top 10. Marion showed guts to beat Stosur that week over three sets.

After recovering from illness in 2008, Stosur is clearly hungry and motivated to realise her ambition.
HEAD TO HEAD 1-1

YANINA WICKMAYER - How can a player on the margins of the top 100 start the year so horribly with 5 consecutive defeats, then go on to win two maiden titles, enjoy a semi final finish at the US Open, and break into the top 20? Granted, the Belgian avoided all the marquee players in New York right until the semi final.

It's all the more remarkable given the lack of stability in her coaching set up. In the past 12 months Wickmayer has experimented with Dutch coach Glen Schapp, and Justine's Henin's long-time coach Carlos Rodriguez. She has also worked with former Belgian pro Ann Devries, and been a sparring partner with Flemmish friend Kim Clijsters (source; Wickmayer's website), yet according to wikipedia Wickmayer remains without a coach.

It's impressive how Wickmayer has thrived without the guidance and support of a regular coach. But if the independent way works for her, then power to her. Even if the substance underlying her sudden success is a mystery, her form can certainly be considered every bit as amazing as that shown by fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters. We monitor her progress with interest.
HEAD TO HEAD 0-0

SABINE LISICKI - Yes she will be vaunted as the glamor puss of Bali (very bored), and yes she enters the tournament by the backdoor courtesy of a wildcard, but be in no doubt the big German is serious beast in tennis terms, and totally merits the wildcard offered her. Last week she reached the final in Luxembourg. She has also reached the quarter final stage at Wimbledon, and blew away a bevvy of top names to take her maiden title in Charleston - A premier tournament at that. She beat Venus, Marion, and Wozniacki en route, her serve exceeding speeds previously set by Venus Williams. Lisicki seems a more fierce-some player now than the one I watched lose to Marion at Wimbledon last year.

Such physical commitment can be punishing on the body, "Before the US Open I injured my shoulder" she wrote last week in her Sony Ericsson WTA Tour player blog, "..there was a big question mark over whether I'd even play there, but four days before I was able to start practicing again, so I was able to go. Unfortunately I twisted my ankle during my match there, and then I got food poisoning in China a few weeks ago too. But I'm a fighter and I never let those things break me down."
HEAD TO HEAD 1-1

SHAHAR PEER - Not considered a top contender to take the title in Bali, but a player from our perspective who always hassles Marion, and preferably one to be avoided in the group stage. She has great stamina, will dig deep no matter the score-line, and hang in there waiting for her opponent to finally crack, fall, and wail before the wall - the counterpuncher - A percentage and error inducing player. Trouble.. in the nicest posible sense.

Recalling the diplomatic incident that arose earlier this year, Peer told the Jerusalem Post of her relief to receive a visa this time, "I'm happy this issue has been settled and that I can play in Bali, "I'm looking forward to this event and I'm especially pleased with the fact that the Dubai scandal did not repeat itself." Although predominantly Hindu, Bali is a small province within the much larger and generally benign Islamic country of Indonesia.

Since the fall-out from said "scandal" subsided, Peer has finally been able to focus on her tennis and move up the rankings a bit. The former world number 17 has still a bit of ground to make up to get to the ranking she had in 2007 and 2006, but with back to back titles in Guangzhou and Tashkent she has every right to feel she can do well here and go all the way. Her recent form is certainly suggestive of dark horse material at the very least, or Trojan horse were Bartolian ambitions are concerned. Real threat.
HEAD TO HEAD 1-6

THE PELETON - Turning to the other players playing Bali, the two Spaniard's Anabel Medina Garrigues and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez will firstly be pleased simply to have qualified for this great event. However both players typically play their best tennis on clay and look outsiders for the title. Magdalena Rybarikova has long maintained that she plays her best tennis on grass, she proved this In June by winning Birmingham and thus qualify for Bali. Aravane Rezai qualifies virtue of her unexpected win in Strasbourg and recently lost in straight sets to Marion in Tokyo. Melinda Czink and Agnes Szavay lead a surprise and very welcome Magyar contingent in Bali. On the cusp of the top 10 just over a year ago, Szavay has shown signs of apprehending her calamitous ranking reversal, while Czink is enjoying the best season of her long and winding career, including a debut title in Quebec.

KIMIKO DATE-KRUMM - is the last card in the pack, the 39 year old Japanese ace recently returned to professional tennis after an absence of 12 years, and became 2nd oldest player in tour history to win a title when she took the Hansol Open in Korea. "Maybe some people think it's too crazy, but I'm enjoying a lot," Date Krumm said during the LA Women's Tennis Championships. "For me it's not only for the ranking or always to win the tournament. It's just to enjoy life. Before when I play, after losing it was like everything finished. Now I have more wide views."

Not only is Date-Krumm the player who has held the highest rank of all assembled players in Bali (No.4 1996), but more recently gave US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki a torrid time at Wimbledon before finally going down in three sets, also narrowly losing to Lisicki in a close three setter in LA. She has stood up well against two of the biggest draws in women’s tennis today.

Date-Krumm doesn't do brutal cannon-power tennis, her dying craft is more that of a swords-woman, with net surges and forehand jabs, it's tactile tennis, and by this she will win, she will lose, she will live, she will die. That's her game. Her 'classic' forehand technique is a point of curiosity for some.

"Everybody hits harder, more powerful, more speedy," she said. "A long time ago, in my generation, everybody was using more the head and more the tactics, and tennis I think was more interesting to watch and play. Now everybody says my style is old style, but I don't care. It's working so I don't care." It's the kind of commendable individualism and defiance which has also characterised team Bartoli over the years. So fans of Marion can easily find grounds of affinity and respect for the way Date-Krumm is doing things on her own terms, and why not.

Date-Krumm is rank outsider to lift the tournament, but will be the sentimental favorite in Bali for sure. She's my pick for a semi final place.

PRIDE – So to wrap things up, whatever the outcome of this tournament Marion Bartoli Fan Blog has PRIDE in the terrific effort and results Marion Bartoli has submitted this year. To be in with a chance of returning to the Top 10 after the Clijsters rumble and "catastrophic" spring hard court season is just marvellous. She is strong in 2009, and if fit this coming week, has the arsenal to deal with all her opponents and be crowned champion of champions.

CELEBRATE - Bali is of course a great place to celebrate spirituality, with its fine temples, and veneration of the gods and goddesses. Let’s look forward to our very own goddess having something to celebrate next week. Let’s do this Marion. I believe in you.

     Marion Bartoli 2006 Bali runner up, and Svetlana Kuznetsova winner

Vera Dushevina is the reserve player
*Bidasse means soldier

China Open - Beijing

Round 1

Magdalena Rybarikova's ranking may have remained pretty static since the blog first took a look at her wares back in March, but if scores are anything to go by, this young lady is learning fast. The Slovak was crushed by Marion 7 months ago in Monterrey, but more recently took our hero into a third set at New Haven, before Marion retired from the match. So for our finest Corsican flame to come through this tough test with a win, is a good result

At the start of the match the players exchanged early breaks, before Marion settled into a comfortable 5-2 lead, and the sealed the set in the next game receiving serve.

The reigning French Number 1 then opened the 2nd set with a hold to love, and earned three break points in the next game. After a tussle to and fro deuce, Rybarikova held serve, in a game which seemed to catalyse her comeback as a competitive force in the match.

It was not entirely unexpected. Winning her debut tour title in Birmingham this summer and having a good run to the quarter final in Tokyo last week, Rybarikova is becoming a solid all court all surface; grass is her forte, she said this long before she won Birmingham, but looking at her results she is clearly learning how to play all types of players, including our own eclectic two-handed tennis terrorist! In Monterrey the Slovak won just 4 games.. what a change.

By now Scything through service games like a Terracotta warrior, Rybarikova broke Marion in the eighth game of the 2nd set. Despite having a break back point at 4-5 40-30, Rybarikova took the 2nd set 6-4.

What a contrast between the first set and the start of the third set for Rybarikova; 40% of first serves in, over the first set. 61% of first serves in over the 2nd set. Around 70% of first serves at the start of the third set.

Sometimes you sit there looking at the scoreboard or watching a match and wonder to yourself if tennis players can read each others minds, if there exists some kind of unconscious consent in the minds of both players, a consent which unconsciously determines the style of play, the terms of the deul, and what happens next - As one Love hold followed another, you felt a kind of tet a tete.

But if holding out for a tie break, Rybarikova was content to let the match drag on, Bartoli had other ideas, breathing fire and breaking in the 7th game, and soon wrapping up the match! Avoiding any dodgy tie break situation.

Today's win showed a lot of character. Its a good win, and will I'm sure be met by nods and approving noises all round. Marion should have some recovery time as she won't be playing tomorrow.

Marion Bartoli will play Alisa Kleybanova or Yanina Wickmeyer in the next round.

PS.. did you get the appalling pun?? drag on, breathing fire.. get it? ................

Match Statistics

Player	,M Rybarikova SVK	M Bartoli FRA
Aces	2	0
Double Faults	5	4
1st Serve %	55%	63%
1st Serve Pts Won	67%	70%
2nd Serve Pts Won	45%	59%
Break Points Saved	4/8	3/5
Service Games Played	13	14
1st Serve Return Pts Won	30%	33%
2nd Serve Return Pts Won	41%	55%
Break Points Won	2/5	4/8
Return Games Played	14	13
Total Service Pts Won	57%	66%
Total Return Pts Won	34%	43%
Total Pts Win	46%	54%
Duration	2hr 10mins 22secs
Fan Blog Moodset

Man! When blogface gets sleepy the posts are written really badly.. not just normal badly... but extreme ultra badly badly, really! Bad.........

edited 23:00

Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Shick
New Haven
WTA Premier
$600,000
Round 2 (16)

Magdalena Rybarikova SVK bt (6)Marion Bartoli FRA 1-6 7-6(5) 2-0

How was Marion Bartoli swindled out of this one. The French Number 1 held three match points at 5-3 in the 2nd set, but retired shortly after being broken to love at the start of the third set.

The match itself was scheduled as the 2nd of the evening session in the Stadium. The first match was subject to two rain delays, and by the time Marion called it a day, or rather night, it was half past midnight on Thursday morning.. head spinning?

After four hours of play in two days, it's best Walter and Marion err on the side of caution just days from the start of the US Open.

The cause of retirement has been given as a right thigh strain. On the basis of past experience, this shouldn't give us any undue cause for concern unless we hear otherwise.

Marion retired during the Medibank International in Sydney, the week before the Australian Open, and at Eastbourne a couple of days prior to the Wimbledon Championships.

At Eastbourne the cause of the Friday afternoon retirement was given also as a right thigh strain. As you can see from one of the Slide photos, Marion did have some tape on that thigh during Wimbledon, but it didn't stop her from double bagelling Yung Yan Chan on the Monday evening.

So hopefully Marion will be in good condition and frame of mind for her US Open campaign.

The draw for the US Open is held later today.

UPDATE 15:50

Just in the interest of accuracy, The Miami Herald reported the cause of retirement as "right thigh strain", but other agencies are reporting it as a left thigh strain, or, left abductor strain.

She'll be fine i'm sure.

A few photos at Yahoo Eurosport.

Match Statistics

Player	Marion Bartoli FRA	Magdalena Rybarikova SVK
Aces	0	2
Double Faults	2	4
1st Serve %	51%	60%
1st Serve Pts Won	53%	57%
2nd Serve Pts Won	59%	36%
Break Points Saved	1/5	8/14
Service Games Played	10	11
1st Serve Return Pts Won	43%	47%
2nd Serve Return Pts Won	64%	41%
Break Points Won	6/14	4/5
Return Games Played	11	10
Total Service Pts Won	56%	49%
Total Return Pts Won	51%	44%
Total Pts Win	53%	47%
Duration	1hr 54mins 33secs
Fan Blog Moodset

 

PS.. Does this mean Bodo won the Maintenance v Achievement argument?

 
Monterrey Open - R16

While chatting with our friend Lighter earlier tonight the point was made that "Marion just gotta make sure she doesn't get distracted, and keeps her serve up..

And so it came to pass. In fact it passed Rybarikova by so quickly that the Welsh commentator remarked that Marion was "Really blowing Rybarikova away."

But before entering into a hubris fest, what makes this a good result is that the Slovak is rated highly by many and for a while tonight she showed why, giving Marion something to think about in the early exchanges. Rybarikova showed an eagerness to come into the net whenever possible and some intelligent choice of shot.

Early on the match contained some pretty entertaining rallies. The tennis good from both players. (well, at least what I was able to watch buff buff bufferstream permitting...)

Despite getting the first break for  2-1 Marion called her coach over for a chat.

Both players then exchanged breaks of serve, but by the end of the eighth game the match was all square at 4-4.

Just as against Krajicek, Marion showed she really is a most disarming beastie when it comes to securing the break at the most crucial junctures - Marion broke to love, and then served out the set to 15. She was beginning to sink her teeth into the novice who's yet to really cut her teeth at the highest level.

by the end of the first set Rybarikova was struggling with 50% of first serves in, While Marion was at 70%. The Bartobambina's serve was on, and she just wasn't giving this potentially dangerous opponent a look in.

The second set witnessed capitulation to unforced error by a toothless Rybarikova, and sheer professionalism from Bartoli. Marion herself showed that she is no slouch at the net either, as if sending out a little message to her opponent. Only in one game mid-way through the second set did Rybarikova threaten to apprehend the inevitable bagel and get on the scoreboard, but it wasn't to be. Even mobile phones going off and foot fault's in the final game couldn't prevent Marion from wrapping things up in a cool and expert fashion.

Once again spectators were treated to Bartoli-interactive - a happy Marion teasing the crowd and hitting more than a few balls into the stand after the match. She seems to be enjoying the atmosphere in Monterrey, and why not. :.

It is good that Marion has dispatched her opponents quickly this week, because the matches will come thick and fast now.

In the quarter final Marion has some unfinished business to attend to with Vania King. In the eyes of many, King was a surprise winner earlier today over crest-fallen Agnes Szavay.

This is a sticky of my match preview from Monterrey in March. Magdalena Rybarikova won her maiden title on the grass of Birmingham three months later. It's interesting to read this again in the light of that.

Magdalena Rybarikova - Wimbledon 2008
(Photo: Roland Goodman / Creative Commons)

Match Preview

Monterrey Open R16

Sometimes rising tennis stars suddenly come out of nowhere, others gradually come in under the rader, and Magdalena Rybarikova? Well she's a bit of both, in fact she's a bit of everything.. as i'll explain.

At 20 years and 6 months Rybarikova isn't the youngest newbie now making the main draw of tour events, but after a slow steady path up the rankings through the ITF circuit, the past 12 months have seen the Slovakian's ranking climb exponentially from just inside the top 300 to a current high of 46. Over the past year she has also made her debut at the main draw of all four slams, reaching the 3rd round at the US Open.

So far in 2009 Rybarikova has clocked up her first ever top 20 wins, over Caroline Wozniacki and Flavia Pennetta. This, is a player.

One Slovakian tennis fan remarked that she reminded him of a young Daniela Hantuchova, a player with “top 5 potential.” A compliment to a player who says of her compatriot, "Daniela Hantuchova was my idol when I was like 12."

The comparison is given more shape when you consider that Rybarikova, blonde, 5' 11", offers a game that has both power and variety.

Sometimes it's hard to separate male blondephilia from the technical facts, but eyewitness reports of Rybarikova's play regularly point to her having a strong serve, a long swing, and an aggressive game.

Firepower has been pivotal to the results she has achieved against higher ranking opponents. She comes out with all guns blazing when facing the big guns of the women's tour, but less brutal in lesser encounters. She is yet to really cut her teeth at this level, so her game hasn't been placed under a lot of scrutiny so far, and even Marion herself said she knows nothing about her.

Powerful as the Rybarikova game is, she also enjoys coming into the net, volleys, lobs from the baseline, the lot. She plays with standard two handed backhand and also will use slice backhand. Some report her backhand as being an area she needs to work on.

Examination of her results are supportive of this multi dimensional appraisal of the Slovak's game. Her results have been steady on all surfaces. But she has also insisted on more than one occasion that her favorite surface is grass and favorite tournament "..Wimbledon. I lost in 1st round. but really like it. I like grass."

Of her progress she said recently, "Probably this (2008) has been the best year of my career so far. I started the year at 238 in rankings and my goal was to be top 100 player, but now I'm 64 on the rankings. I qualified for all the grand slams events this year and also reached the third roundI have graduated from 25,000, 50,000, and 100,000 events this year and then qualifying for the Grand Slam events. I like to play at bigger events, specially the grand slams as the atmosphere is so different, I like to play on grass and it will be enjoyable experience."

Marion is one of the highest ranked players that Rybarikova has had to face. The Slovakian recently switched from a Wilson to a Prince Racquet and prefers the faster surfaces, as does Marion.

Magdalena Rybarikova has faced two other two-handed both sides players, but lost on both occasions, to Monica Niculescu and Peng Shaui.

If Marion plays to her ability then she will be a handful for the wildcard, as she is for everyone! But thinking back to those time code violations and that strange triple double fault game the other night, It's important that Marion be calm, clear in her mind about what she has to do, and confident in her status as the top player in the tournament.

In a week which began with Marion fan's pretty unsure just what to expect from this event, Marion Bartoli has since became the bookmakers favorite to take the Monterrey Open title. But it isn't preferential odds that Marion seeks, it's victories and results.

Good Luck Marion!

Not much out there on this girl at all.

Sources:
WTA Tour
Tennis Forum
Iol.co.za News South Africa
magdalenarybarikova.blogspot.com (official)
Dailymotion
Youtube
Tennis Insight

livestream
Removed

    
A few screen captures from the match

Round 1 (32)

After one week of preamble in the Mexican sunshine more akin to sedation than siesta, Marion finally enjoyed some competitive action under the floodlights of the Sierra Madre Club in Monterrety.

In the end a largely solid performance earned the French number 1 her fourth win over the Dutch girl, who still awaits her maiden win over Marion.

Our favorite Frenchie was already running away with the match before Krajicek even caught up with shadow of her little black dress.

Hitting powerfully from the back of the court, and working the wayward Krajicek forehand to great effect, Marion blazed into a 3-0 lead.

But you know with Marion, it isn't ever straight forward. If her opponent couldn't beat her, maybe her "demons" could - three double faults gave Krajicek the next game to Love for 3-1.

If Marion handed Misa a hose with in the previous game, the question was whether or not Misa had enough strength to turn on her old tap and dowse the blazing Bartoli? Well, sort of.. A satisfying smash earned Misa a hold to Love for 3-2 to temporarily cool Marion's hot streak.

At the midway stage of the first set Marion received a time violation warning from the umpire.

Despite my own s-t-u-t-t-e-r-i-n-g match stream I could see no evidence of procrastination from Miss Bartoli as she got back on message and blasted her way through the next three games to take the first set 6-2.

Michaella Krajicek tried to mix things up a bit, but she simply had no answer to Marion's power and consistency. If Misa had a lovely winner, Marion would follow up with two of them.

Coach Walter Bartoli had a wee word with his blazing baba at the interval. Then an anomaly followed.. yet another Time Violation issued against Marion which resulted in her being deducted a point at the beginning of the second set.

Things were more closely contested in the 2nd set, in fact the first eight games of the second set were all holds.

Calling for Walter for a second time at 2-2, Marion seemed a little bit miffed out there. The crowd were clearly rooting for the underdog, and wanted their money's worth after watching the beatdown Pennetta had handed to Craybas in the previous match of the evening.

Marion had a brief chat with the umpire on a couple of occasions about a couple of calls, I thought I'm sure I also heard Marion say Misa served into her body (but given my poor stream that may have been a mishearing at my end). Certainly Misa was getting more change with her backhand shots, and was at least able to do enough with this to keep herself in the contest.

However, as anyone who follows Marion's matches closely will know, when it comes to the business end of a set, Marion frequently makes a bolt for the winning line, tonight repeated this tradition - breaking Krajicek to go 5-4 up, taking full advantage of two double faults at the wrong time from the Dutchie.

It's one thing to have a bummer of a game middway through a set when you're cruising, but not serving at 4-4!

Now serving for the match, Marion actually showed more show-boating than nerves; a superb down the line winner for 30-15, followed by an Ace to bring up match point. A powerful forehand winner from Misa saved the first match point, But Marion successfully sealed the match at her second opportunity.

As Michaella Krajicek said, it is for her an achievement to be back playing and fit. This was a good run out for her and should only make the 20 year old more determined to get back to the level she once played at.

For Marion, she looked happy, smiling and hitting balls into the crowd after the match, and she sounded happy too, "I felt good, and have been practicing hard since Dubai. Next round will be tough as I don't anything about her, but I will try my best."

The, her, in question is Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova who came through her first round match against Edina Gallovits in three sets.

Super Beastie! Well Done!:
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Just look at that.. is that not beautiful! Look at the grace and elegance. Don't you wish you could just toss the ball so cleanly and naturally into the air, then slap it into oblivion at over 100 miles per hour. Sometimes we take the skills of these players too casually. Takes a lifetime of development and daily commitment to do that.




click thumbnails

edited and cleaned up 14:17

Due to an official mix up between the WTA and Monterrey officials, there was some confusion over who won the Gallovits v Rybarikova match. (It's also why I accidentally wrote Rybarikova will play Rybarikova!!! Because I had came back to edit and correct twice.)

Rybarikova was the winner in three sets, and will play Marion in the next round.