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Bartoli Tops Azarenka At WTA Championships
By: James Waterson
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Photo Credit: Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images
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(October 28, 2011) WTA Championships alternate Marion Bartoli of France upset Victoria Azarenka 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in the final White Group match at the year-end tournament in Istanbul Friday.
Going into the encounter, Azarenka had won seven of their previous eight matches. She has also been in great form this week, as she’s scored dominant wins against Samantha Stosur and Li Na, two of this year’s Grand Slam champions.
Yet Bartoli, who hadn’t played a match in Istanbul before today, looked highly motivated early on. She raced to a 4-2 lead in the first set, but she was unable to close it out as Azarenka stormed back to take the lead.
The Frenchwoman served well for the rest of the match. She dropped serve only once in the second set, and then she never faced a break point in the third.
An early break of serve proved decisive in the final set, and although Azarenka tried to come back she was outhit by Bartoli in the critical moments.
Despite the loss, Azarenka still advances to the semifinals, where she will face Russia’s Vera Zvonareva. The match could be difficult for her, as she has a 3-6 record against Zvonareva.
She did win their last match, at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, 6-3, 6-0.
Bartoli replaced Maria Sharapova, who withdrew because of an ankle injury after her second match.
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