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Why doesn’t any expert predict Bartoli to win a Slam?
8 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
Once again, when the fortnight began, Marion Bartoli was curiously ignored as a player who could win Wimbledon. They picked Maria, Serena, Wozniacki, Li Na but no expert, no pundit on ESPN or any other media outlet (as far as I know) mentioned Bartoli to win Wimbledon.
Nobody at Tennis-prose selected Bartoli to win either.
Now, after this stunning straight-set upset of the highly confident Serena by Bartoli, do any of you think she can go on to win the tournament now? I doubt it. I mean, as in doubt anyone envisions Bartoli holding up the big plate on Saturday. But she’s my pick now.
Marion Bartoli might be the most underrated and underestimated player in women’s tennis.
Bartoli is the WTA's Rodney Dangerfield
8 comments
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Mitch · June 27, 2011 at 3:32 pm
She may have beaten Serena but she’s not going to win the tournament. She just doesn’t have the head for it; she choked away 3 match points on serve in that last game before the tiebreaker.
Scoop Malinowski · June 27, 2011 at 3:34 pm
Mitch, I thought Serena played some incredible tennis on those MPs but Bartoli refused to wilt. She actually matched and exceeded Serena’s intensity level too. Her desire and will is something to behold.
Dan Markowitz · June 27, 2011 at 4:34 pm
The reason why no one picks Bartoli to win a slam is that she is not a very good athlete. She’s carrying more weight than an elite athlete carries and her game is imminently open to cracking. Its just that the women today don’t hit drop shots too well or slice backhands.
Bartoli doesn’t move well. Her serve lacks variety, although she’s improved it, and although she can crack the ball, she’s got no subtlety to her game or hands at the net. The fact that she’s one of the top players in the game shows you how weak the women’s game is. Martina Navratilova would’ve beaten her love and 1 on grass.
Scoop Malinowski · June 27, 2011 at 6:06 pm
She reminds of Seles, not very athletic looking, heavy, but she gets the job done somehow. Bartoli’s best weapon may be her fighting spirit, intelligence, mental toughness and awkwardly effective game. She can win the tournament now, she took out a very confident Serena.
Michael · June 28, 2011 at 4:41 am
Probably because she’s overweight (still), somewhat of a strange duck and her game is fugly.
Scoop Malinowski · June 28, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Don’t think she is overweight, that’s just her body. Fatigue is never an issue with her and she sure uses a lot of energy between points with her shadow swings and footwork drills. She has to be in extremely good condition to use up all that energy and still win three setters.
Dan Markowitz · June 28, 2011 at 8:06 pm
think to compare Bartoli to Seles is gross unjustice to Seles. And I wrote this before Bartoli lost to Lisicki, though, I’m posting it now. She
won her first slam at like 17 and Bartoli is 26 and still slam-less. I
know you’re talking about style of play, but Seles was more voracious,
fearless and had a better two-handed forehand. I mean Seles could’ve
been one of the three best female players ever if she didn’t get
stabbed, and Bartoli might not be in the Top-3 of French players.
Scoop Malinowski · June 29, 2011 at 12:15 pm
True Dan, maybe a poor girl’s version of Seles. But similar nonetheless.