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Click here to discuss the Bartoli/Lisicki Final with fellow tennis fans.
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Marion Bartoli of France is one of the quirkiest players on the tour. Her serve is awkward to watch, she hits two-handed on both sides, and has too many on-court ticks to mention. Perhaps it is fitting that she was the last woman standing at this very odd Wimbledon, beating Germany’s Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 6-4.
It was by no means a classic match, but Bartoli, the veteran of one other Wimbledon final, played her game and mostly held her nerve, while Lisicki never found either. Bartoli’s straight-sets win made her only the 6th player in the Open Era to win The Championships without dropping a set.
Bartoli was long coached by her father, Walter, who was in the stands today, but they recently decided it was time for her to move on, and the change seems to have done her good. She appears much more relaxed on and off the court, and plays like she’s actually enjoying herself.
Lisicki had a hard road to the final, having to upset the #1 and #4 seeds, and it seemed to have taken a toll. This was Sabine’s first Grand Slam final, and she admitted that her nerves got the better of her. However, at 23, and with a powerful game and serve, one hopes it’s not her last.
