Lisicki d. Bartoli 6-4 6-7 6-1
You just can’t play two 3 setters in week one (one of which goes 9-7 in the third), follow that up with an emotionally-consuming win over one of the greatest players of all time, and then expect to be at your optimal level only 24 hours later.
That’s a big ask for anyone, let alone Marion.
Having played that much, I don’t think I’m reaching when I say that she could have done with the extra days rest – or that it could have been a very different result had she had that rest.
Coulda-shoulda-woulda….this is the stuff Slams are made of. You might even argue the mental cost associated with pulling off a win over Serena sapped her of more vitality than any number of 3 setters would.
My guess is she knew that only too well – happy, presumably, with beating Serena to stand as her crowning achievement at this event: not only did she not fail to compete, she actually dialled up the fire further still. Until, that is, her legs would carry her no more.
That takes “More balls than all the French men put together”, as someone said on twitter yesterday.
And for that, as always, she has my respect.
I don’t know if I quite buy into Sabine as the “deserving cause”, and I’m still not completely reconciled to her having knocked out my fave (*snarl*), but you have no soul if you’re not pleased at her return.
Can she keep it going? Probably. Will it be enough against Pova? I rather doubt it. Certainly not if Pova plays the way she did vs. Domi.
Perhaps sensing the electricity that Domi sometimes brings to bear (see Wozniacki), Pova squashed any pretensions to “competition” Domi might have had within the opening few games. Alas poor munchkin, she never had a chance.
Petra played her worst match of the tournament today. There’s a cost/benefit analysis you might choose to make whenever something like this happens.
On the one hand, she got through and will likely emerge more battle-hardened as a result, which should set her in good stead for the semis.
Trouble is, Petra’s never really fit that mould. She seems to thrive on quick wins based on strutting her very capable stuff. Today’s troublesome encounter is neither “empowering”, nor should it be seen as very much more than a minor irritant. She may very well go down to Vika, or (as I rather suspect) she may knock her out – either way today’s episode will have had little to do with it.
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