Quote of the Day: Bartoli on Rafa

No, not even a little bit.

- Marion Bartoli on whether she was happy for Rafael Nadal after his Wimbledon victory

That's cold-butted. Apparently, the Frenchie idolizes Roger Federer and actually cried for him after the match.

Oh Marion, get a grip - he doesn't need your tears. You know what does, though? Your falling career.

(image via Getty)

Comment of the Week: Anonymous on Bartoli

(Hey people - I'm starting a new "Comment of the Week" post today. DtL! has been getting so many great, interesting, brutally honest and hysterical comments lately from readers around the world that I thought it would be the best way to showcase the best of the best, or worst of the worst I suppose. Anyway, here we go!)

And people wonder why Americans are so hated...
...shame on you, Rich. Perhaps she doesn't shave. Perhaps she decided to stop. Perhaps she has an irritation, medical condition, or rash. Perhaps she didn't think anyone would ZOOM in and become obsessed with her armpit.

Get over yourself, please.

- June 18, Anonymous on Marion Bartoli's pit problem

Apparently to this commenter, pit hair and America go together like America and apple pie. Yummy!

P.S. - Looks like the Frenchie resolved her issue in this photo so no worries everyone.

(image via Getty)

PHOTO OP: Bartoli's in the pits...and in more ways than one

Okay Marion Bartoli. I understand that being a professional tennis baller means you're, like, really busy and scattered and you don't have time to pay attention to every detail. Plus, I realize that it's a big world with many cultural differences between us.

But seriously - couldn't you just take a razor to those hairy pits knowing you're on the world stage and at some point you might raise your arms in championship triumph?

Oh wait! It's you we're talking about...now I get it.

(image via Getty)

Quote of the Day: Bartoli on Yuri Sharapov

He didn't put any pressure on me. He wasn't saying, 'You have to win,' or 'You have to do this or you have to do that'. He's not like Maria Sharapova's dad. It's completely different.

- Marion Bartoli on comparing father, Walter, to Yuri Sharapov

Damn - just put it all out there Marion. The Frenchie does have a point, though, since Maria's dad is, like, c-r-a-z-y.

(image via The Age)

Marion's got a hairy situation and Pocahontas is its name-o

Yikes Marion Bartoli.

It seems the Frenchie, who was "fed up" recently after her first round Roland Garros loss, has resurfaced as the top seed at the DFS Classic in Birmingham after a number of top ballers withdrew. Unfotunately her stay wasn't long as she was booted by Petra Cetkovska today 5-7, 6-4, 6-0 and later said she may miss Wimbledon after complaining of tendinitis still lingering in her wrist.

Let's not forget the duel-fisted groundstroker has tons of points to defend at Wimby after making last year's final and needs to get herself in gear.

Marion may also want to get her hairy situation in gear too. If you're a 23-year old woman on the world stage of tennis, do you really want to channel Pocahontas a la Tatiana Golovin?

Pretty it's not.

(image via Getty)

Quote of the Day: Bartoli

I’m just fed up. I’m going to turn off my mobile phone, turn off my TV set, forget about Roland Garros.

- Marion Bartoli after her first round loss to Australian Casey Dellacqua at Roland Garros.

Good idea Marion. You need to get in some semblance of shape physically and mentally before Wimbledon, where you'll have TONS of points to defend. I hope you enjoyed your stay in the top 10, though, because it's just about over.

(image via Getty)

The state of Marion Bartoli: unfit or unflattering?

Firstly, I'd like to admit I haven't actually seen Marion Bartoli play recently in Doha or Indian Wells so these observations are purely based on these images. Plus, I like her attitude + demeanor on and off the tennis court.

But is the pepto-colored dress she's wearing (I hope that's not yours Nike) just horribly unflattering or is last year's Wimbledon finalist completely out-of shape + unfit?


(image via AP Photo/Mark Avery)

SIGHTING: The ladies of the WTA Tour celebrate the season's end in style

End of the line: The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's 2007 season went out with an emphatic end this weekend with World No. 1 Justine Henin winning the WTA Championships title in an epic battle against Maria "Shriek"apova in what we think was the women's match of the year. The Belgian star won 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in the longest match in the Championship's history, and was rewarded with $1 million, a trophy, and a photo op with the sexy model ball boys.

Afterwards, the ladies celebrated the end of another long tennis season in style at the Sony Ericsson Player's Party in Madrid:

Serena Williams & Maria "Shriek"apova


Justine Henin & Daniela Hantuchova


Ana Ivanovic & Marion Bartoli


Svetlana Kuznetsova & Jelena Jankovic


Anna Chakvetadze & Hall of Famer Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

Marion Bartoli fights back at Navratilova comments, "This really makes me nuts..."

Marion Bartoli is feeling disrespected and she's over it. The recent Wimbledon finalist is lashing back at legend Martina Navratilova for comments she made about Marion during a phoner with The New York Times. “She can beat a top-10 player here and there, but not day in and day out,” Navratilova said. “For that, you need better movement. But it just shows how good she is and how well she hits the ball. She doesn’t have the foot speed, but she still gets the job done.”


After hearing these comments, Marion told The New York Observer's John Koblin, "This really makes me nuts," [...] "You can't be in the final of Wimbledon if you can't move. I mean how impossible to beat the number one in the world [Justine Henin] in the semifinal if not moving great. And I beat Jelena Jankvoic, the number three in the world, and she moves so well. If you don't move well you cannot beat her, there is no way. So you cannot throw this kind of thing in the air and say 'she is a bad mover, she is not a great athlete.' You cannot say that, there is no way. So maybe Martina Navratilova is not right every time."

We think the Frenchie's run to the Wimbledon final was a fluke, too. Clearly she was in the zone, as evidenced by her post-Wimbledon (lack of) results. But, we're giving Marion her props - it's still a great result.

The continued growth of the Justine Henin brand

(images courtesy of Justine-Henin.be)

After some much needed time away from the courts, Justine Henin has begun preparations for her assault on the North American hardcourts and her second US Open title. Her last match was, of course, the shocking semifinal loss to Frenchie Marion Bartoli at Wimbledon.

During her break, Justine not only showed off her new fashion smarts. The World No. 1 also had a chance to work with her charity, 20 Hearts Foundation, where she spent 3 weeks in the Swiss Alps at a therapeutic holiday camp. If that wasn't enough, the feisty Belgian and her long-time coach, Carlos Rodriguez, launched an elite tennis player development program, JUST iN TEAM, an extension of their tennis academy 6th Sense. Recently, Justine and Carlos held a press conference and spoke about the program and its goals:

JH: "I am very happy that JUST iN TEAM was born. It's begun and ready to go. All the necessary things needed to launch this project enables us to start quickly, but we also think it's a good moment to do it now. We answer to the desires of many people in our tennis academy. From the adults who wish to play one hour a week to a young person's tennis lessons. I feel that this project is the logical extension of our academy."

CR: "The goal is to integrate these players into the professional tennis career environment. We know how difficult it is in the transition from junior level to the full time pro circuit. Its especially tough for young males because the differences between boys and men are extreme. [...] Justine and I have learned so much, and it's our turn to teach what we know. We do not see the performance as the end in itself, but a state of mind. The matches won, and the rankings become the results. It is this approach which we want to give our academy and JUST iN TEAM. We want the parents and young people to realize that the goal in fact is to give your best all the time, and nothing else."

JH: "We have two great people joining us. There's Andres Bruno, he worked previously at the Juan Carlos Ferrero tennis academy. He has vast experience as a coach, and toured with Juan Carlos Ferrero and Guillermo Lopez at tournaments. In addition, we have Philippe Dehaes, who was the coach of Kristof Vliegen, Christophe Rochus, Xavier Malisse, and Gilles Elseneer."

+ TUESDAY NETCORDS: Mark & Marion, Jelena flies solo...Jake Gyllenhall and more

- Reality check: Mark Philippoussis, current reality TV star and former Wimbledon finalist (remember?) is in talks for a second reality show about his "comeback" to tennis (collective sigh)

- Speaking of Wimbledon finalists: Can Marion Bartoli back up her great run at The All England Club, beginning at the Bank of the West Classic this week? She thinks so.

- Mid life crisis: The USTA tells The New York Times the average age of a tennis fan is 45 - get a grip, or better market research at least

- Beggars CAN be choosers: Former Top 10 player and current World No. 9,999 Jelena Dokic turns down help from Tennis Australia, which would require the Serb to train with the AIS Pro-Tour program in Surbiton located in London. According to the article, Jelena "wants to do her own thing." True, she's been losing all on her own so why stop now?

- OFF TOPIC ALERT: Jake Gyllenhaal is #1 on AfterElton.com's Hot 100 list

PREVIEW: Wimbledon Women's Final

Venus "V" Williams vs. Marion Bartoli
Head-to-head: 1st meeting

Expect the unexpected - the theme for the women's road to the final. No. 23 seed V takes on No. 18 seed Marion for the women's title. V took out the French Open finalist and No. 6 seed Ana Ivanovic in a straight-forward 6-2, 6-4 match. Bartoli, on the other hand, caused one of the biggest upsets in Wimby history ousting world No. 1 Justine Henin 1-6, 7-5, 6-1. This is V's sixth trip to the final while Bartoli is making her debut. This match is their first meeting.

Here's V on reaching her sixth Wimby final:

"I've had so many great times here. It's really an amazing stat. I guess I'm feeling proud of myself for that stat, but I don't want to take anything for granted going into the final."

Marion had this to say about playing V in the final:

"Well, I never play against Venus. I play against her sister, Serena. I guess, you know, to beat the No. 1 in the world will give me a lot of confidence. And to play on this court, Centre Court, win that match, I will be really up for tomorrow. I have nothing to lose tomorrow. Venus has been the champion here already. You know, I will try to figure out the way to play against her."

Outlook: Venus should be a lock to win her 4th Wimby championship but Marion can't be overlooked. After beating Justine, she will come in with confidence. But how will she handle her first Grand Slam final? Tracy Austin for MSNBC.com still gives the title to Venus.

Tell me who you think will win the women's final!

(images courtesy of AP Photo)

PREVIEW: Wimbledon Men's Semifinal Showdowns

The quarterfinals have been completed and the final four Gentlemen of Wimby are set for their semifinal battles. Here's a preview:

Roger Federer vs. Richard Gasquet

Head-to-head: Federer 5, Gasquet 1

Last meeting: ATP Masters Series Canada '06, Federer 2-6 6-3 6-2

After 5 days off from competition and another rain delay yesterday, world No. 1 Fed finally completed a match, winning his quarterfinal against the Spanish No. 20 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Fed lost his first set of the tournament to Ferrero. Frenchie No. 12 seed Richard Gasquet joined his countrywoman Marion Bartoli as a giant-killer this tournament, taking out No. 3 seeded American Andy Roddick in a epic match 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3), 8-6.

Here's Fed speaking about Gasquet's game:

"With Richard, I think he's a wonderful player off the back of the court. He now mixes it up very well, coming to the net much more. He's got a nice slice, fantastic backhand. He's really improved. I think he's going to be one of the good players in the future."

Here's Gasquet on playing Fed:

"I have no pressure. If I win the first set tomorrow, everything can happen. But I have to play against Roger on the Centre Court in Wimbledon. He won a lot of time. But for sure I have to enjoy this match. That's incredible for me."

Outlook: Gasquet's match against A-Rod was a draining battle - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Now he goes up against 10-time Slam winner in Fed tomorrow. Can he recover enough to challenge Fed, who's going for history in capturing a 5th Wimby championship in a row (tying the legendary Bjorn Borg)?

Rafael "Rafa" Nadal vs. Novak "Djoker" Djokovic

Head-to-head: Rafa 4, Djoker 1

Last meeting: French Open '07, Rafa 7-5 6-4 6-2

No. 2 seed Rafa had a tricky quarterfinal match against the No. 7 seed Tomas Berdych, a player who has given the Spaniard fits in the past. However, he schooled the Czech with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-2 decision. The Djoker, the No. 4 seed, beat last year's semifinalist No. 10 seed Marcos Baghdatis in a gruelling 5-setter 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 4-6, 7-5.

Here's Rafa's take on his semifinal tomorrow:

"Well, be in semifinals, anyway you play one guy or other one, is good for the confidence, no, because you have to win good matches for be in semifinals of one Grand Slam. But this Grand Slam, especially I beat very good players, so that's give me good confidence. But I know tomorrow I gonna have another test, another difficult test against Baghdatis or Djokovic. They're playing very good."

Here's the Djoker on his fitness for the semifinal:

"From the start of the tournament, I don't know if I had one day off. Maybe I had one or two. But basically I was on the schedule every day. That is not, you know, really the encouraging thing for semifinal. But he was kind of in that situation as well, even though of course he spend much less hours than me on the court. But he was on schedule every day, as well. You know, he's physically probably the most prepared player in the world. We all know that. But, you know, I'll try to do my best and recover."

Outlook: Any match Rafa is involved in will most certainly be a physical one. The Djoker has little time to recover from his 5 hour match today, not to mention his 4 hour plus match against Aussie Lleyton Hewitt in the Round of 16. Will the Serb have the legs to run with Rafa?

(Images courtesy of AP Photos)

PREVIEW: Wimbledon Women's Semifinal Showdowns

The final four Ladies of Wimby are all set for their semifinal showdowns. Here's a preview:

Venus "V" Williams vs. Ana Ivanovic

Head-to-head: Williams, 2-0
Last meeting: Luxembourg '06, Williams 6-3, 6-4

No. 23 seed V put on another sterling performance handling No. 5 seed Sveta Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals 6-3, 6-4. It was V's first win over the powerful Russian in 3 matches this year. No.6 seed Ivanovic won the battle of the "beauty teens" saving 3 match points and outlasting Czech Nikki Vaidisova, the 12th seed (and my darkhorse), 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Here's what V said about playing her next opponent:

"[Ivanovic and Vaidisova] are both very good players, a lot of talent, a lot of power, a lot of potential. They both love the game. I think they're both very similar. They both have similar games to me. It will just be a matter of me playing that game a little better."

Here's Ana talking about V:

"It's going to be very tough match. Venus is in a great shape. They played amazingly last couple of matches. It's going to be very tough. But I have experience. I played on Centre Court already. So I just want to go tomorrow and enjoy, try to play the best I can and see who will be better tomorrow."

Outlook: V, a 3-time Wimby champ, has the edge in every category over the Serb, so on paper this is a match she should win. Tracy Austin for MSNBC.com has already given V a passport to the title. But which Venus will show up to play?

Justine Henin vs. Marion Bartoli

Head-to-head: Henin, 2-0
Last meeting: Eastbourne '07, Henin 6-1, 6-3

As the No. 1 seed Justine truly established herself as best in the world and earned another chance at the Venus Rosewater Dish by beating 8-time Slam winner and No. 7 seed Serena "ReRe" Willaims 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. This win was Henin's first over ReRe on a non-clay court - an important win for the fiery Belgian. France's Bartoli, the No. 18 seed, is this year's Wimby Surprise Semifinalist (isn't there always one?) winning her quarterfinal over 18 year old Michaella Krajichek of the Netherlands, the 31st seed, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Here's Justine on her upcoming semifinal:

"Well, still going match after match. I have a semifinal now. Still that's how I build something good, I hope. On Friday it's going to be another tough match. Even if on the paper I'm going to be the favorite, it's going to be another kind of story on the court. So it's still too early to talk about it. It would mean a lot, but still have a lot of work to do."

Here's Bartoli on playing Justine:

"I've been through some big stage already against some big players and in some tough situation, finals of tournaments. I'm not afraid to play against the big players. Not afraid. It's going to be my first time on Centre Court. I'm very happy to be for the first time on Centre Court in Wimbledon. I will really enjoy that moment."

Outlook: Justine, welcome to Wimby final #3. Could the third time be the charm?

Tell me who your picks are for tomorrow's women's semifinals!

(images courtesy of AP Photos)