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WIMBLEDON

June 28, 2011

Marion Bartoli

LONDON, ENGLAND

S. LISICKI/M. Bartoli
6-4, 6-7, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It appeared you ran out of gas in the third set. What happened?
MARION BARTOLI: Yeah, definitely. My mind was trying extremely hard, but just my body couldn't do anything anymore.
I think I really paid all the effort I had since one month. Since Strasbourg, French Open, Eastbourne, I play a lot of matches, a lot of long matches. At the end, I couldn't anymore.
But, you know, there is nothing I can do about it. I still fought very hard, especially in that second set. I had some match point down. I have no regrets. You know, I really try my hardest, but at the end my body just was not able to do it anymore.

Q. What is it like facing her serve, and is it the best serve on the women's tour?
MARION BARTOLI: I think we had really a good match. I mean, I think it was entertaining up until the beginning of the third set. I really do feel if I had the same level of energy as yesterday, I will still be able to come up as a winner.
But I just couldn't anymore. I mean, all the extremely tough matches I had in the first week and all the matches I had before really beat me.
Of course, Sabine was playing very well, but I was aware about it and I was still able to take her to a third set. I really do feel like if I had just the same level of energy as yesterday I would be able to win that match, but it was just not the case.

Q. Do you feel it would have been any different with the roof open?
MARION BARTOLI: Maybe, because I think it's a bit tougher to serve when you're outside. I mean, it really feels like an indoor court, without wind, without sun, without anything to disturb a big server like Sabine.
But it was the conditions today. I don't have the power to change the weather - not yet. But, you know, I was still able to manage to return more and more serves as the match was going on.
But then all of a sudden I couldn't move anymore really. My leg was starting to cramp. I was just having no more energy to my body. My mind was still trying extremely hard, but I just couldn't move anymore. There is nothing you can do about it. When you run out of gas, it's just like that.
But I just have to rest now. I think the last month has been extremely positive. So I just have to remain positive and take the good things that I've done since one month and just move forward.

Q. How difficult was it to concentrate when you had the thunder, the rain so loud? The umpire had to shout at some point to be heard.
MARION BARTOLI: Yeah, no, it was tough. It was tough because it was very noisy. The noise of the rain dropping onto that roof, it was extremely noisy. But I think it was the same for both of us. You know, when you're trying your hardest, at some points you just forget about everything that goes outside.
But, uhm, yes, it was still noisy. I don't know, maybe it's the kind of fabric the roof is made of that makes that kind of noise. But from the echo of the ball and the rain that was dropping, yes, it was noisy inside.

Q. How important is it to hear the sound in a match? Have you ever played in a situation like this where there was so much noise from the elements?
MARION BARTOLI: Maybe when I was playing some extremely small tournaments in France. As far as I can remember, on the pro circuit, not really.
But, you know, again, it was really good to play. I mean, we had some live tennis, even if it was pouring rain outside and we had some satellite. So you can't really blame the Wimbledon for having this kind of roof. It's already great that we will be able to play.
Again, it was the same condition for both of us. Maybe because Sabine already played one match under that roof this year maybe it helps her. She was aware of the conditions, how it was. That was my first time under the roof. Maybe that was the difference at the beginning.
I get a few minutes to get used to that. But after it, you know, I was really into the match until the beginning of that third set when really all of a sudden my whole body just shut down.

Q. Do you feel like the amount she used the dropshot in the match, which was unusually high, did that play a part in you losing energy a little bit as the match wore on?
MARION BARTOLI: I don't think so, because I played a lot of players did some dropshot to me. Especially on that match point, when I run, she made a great dropshot. I run and I get to the ball and she made a lob on the line and I run and I get to the ball. Really, I was fine. I was fine.
It was more the last of the match. The more minutes I was spending on the court, then I just arrive at one point where I just couldn't anymore. I don't know how many hours I stay on the court since one month, but I think it's pretty high.
I mean, I play so many long matches. I made the finals at Strasbourg, semis at the French, winning Eastbourne, quarters here. I play some very long matches, so I think that's really what took me at the end.

Q. You said you hate even losing a game of Monopoly to your brother. How will you be tonight? What is your mood going to be tonight?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, I think of course I'm disappointed by the result, but I can't really blame myself because I just tried -- really, I tried my hardest.
At the end, you know, my mind was still there but my body just couldn't anymore. So I think the lesson I have to take from it, it's maybe not playing the week before a Grand Slam or try during that first week to go through some easier match.
It's easier to say. I have to face Serena Williams in the round of 16. That's a tough match to play and back it up the next day with another quarterfinal. Maybe if I had another draw in round of 16 it would be different today. There are a lot of maybes or a lot of ifs.
I'm just extremely happy about what happen since one month. I couldn't even predict those kind of results, honestly. So I'm just remaining positive and moving forward. There is the US Open Series coming on. I won the US Open juniors.
So if I'm planning a good schedule throughout the summer and save some energy for the US Open, at the end I think I will be able to do well there.

Q. Do you get upset when people say the women's game doesn't have many stars, because that was an excellent game? Do you feel there's a lot of talent in the women's gave perhaps not being recognized at the moment?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, maybe, because the people outside just thinking about the names. But I think we display and we shows a very good match today. So I don't really think, because we are not named Serena or Venus Williams doesn't mean we don't know how to play tennis. I think everyone really enjoyed that kind of match.
I think woman's tennis just get to have more matches like that so people will enjoy to come and watch us. Even though we don't have some big name, some big star name, we still be able to play some good matches.
So I think it all depends on the level of intensity we show up on the court, and I think people really enjoy it more now.

Q. During your run to the final here a while back, you had that great win over Justine; the other day you beat Serena. How would you compare those two wins? Which was more special?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, I think in a way it happens the same to me. When I beat Justine, I had to play right back the next day the final, and I really felt after the first set against Venus I ran out of gas again.
And today I really felt playing back-to-back Serena and another match, maybe because I play so many matches before, it was really draining. Because to beat those kind of players as Serena or Justine, it's really draining mentally. It's not only physically, it really takes a lot mentally to face them and beat them.
I think having one day off would really help me to get some energy back, especially mentally, then refocus on the quarterfinal. And having to play Serena so early into the tournament, uhm, I think was really tough to back it up today.
But I still beat Serena Williams in Wimbledon. I think I still can be proud of myself. Even though I lost today, it was still a good match. It was still a good fight.
Yes, I ran out of gas in that third set, but there is a lot of positive things to take about.

Q. You talk about running out of gas. You were always on the moving from place to place and whacking your racquet. Did that slow you down or was that pumping yourself up?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, if you look at this third set I was not able to do it anymore just because I was so exhausted I could barely walk from one side to the other.
Usually when I'm slowing down it's not a good sign. So I really felt, because Sabine was playing so well, I had to really step up into that second set to take it. And it was really all of a sudden. I start that third set and I was fine.
When I get to deuce in that service game, all of a sudden I couldn't move anymore. My mind was trying extremely hard, but my body couldn't. And when I'm just stopping to move between each point, you know it's not a very good sign.

Q. After Serena yesterday, did you see yourself as going all the way to the finals?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, as I said yesterday in my press conference, in tennis every match is difficult to win, and especially when you get to the last rounds of a Grand Slam. If I play against Sabine today, she's in the quarterfinal, that means she play some great tennis.
Even though it's not a big name doesn't mean she doesn't know how to play tennis. So it's not because you beat Serena Williams one day that for sure you're going to win the whole championship. It's just not working like that.
She play some amazing tennis today. She deserve to win, definitely. And I knew it will be extremely tough today, even though I play a great match yesterday.

Q. Do you think Sabine's game plan was in a certain way in that direction, exhausting you, making you run, making you move a lot on the court?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, I think that's the way she plays. I saw her play against Li Na. She play the same way. I think that's really the kind of game she's displaying against any kind of players. That's why she's also extremely dangerous on grass court because she's extremely fast and to the angle.
I don't think it was especially against me this kind of game plan. I think she really has it every time she's stepping out on the court. And on grass, obviously it's working extremely well.

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