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TEB BNP PARIBAS WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 28, 2011

Marion Bartoli

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

M. BARTOLI/V. Azarenka
5-7, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you feel when you found out that you'd get to actually play today as an alternate?
MARION BARTOLI: Yeah, well, obviously I got the news since Maria pulled out. So I was really ready to play this match.
But I never practiced on this court, so actually the first ball I hit with Vika today was the first ball I ever hit on the center court of Istanbul.
So I think I got it up really good, and obviously it was very nice to have this kind of experience. I think it was really a great atmosphere, a great crowd. I'm very pleased with my victory today.

Q. Did you notice at all when you were playing, you know, if Victoria was feeling tired or something like that across the net?
MARION BARTOLI: Um, no. Really, you know, I really tried to focus on my own game. You know, I lost many, many, many times against Vika, so I really tried to stay focused. I had this huge lead in the first set, and she came back very strongly winning the first set 7-5 and leading I think 2-Love in the second, so I really tried to focus on my own game and tried to play well on my side.

Q. You're off to Bali next, I presume?
MARION BARTOLI: Absolutely. I have to pack my suitcase tonight and be ready for 23 hours' trip tomorrow to the wonderful city of Bali, but I think it's also nice to finish the season over there. It really feels like paradise. You have the white sand beaches and very sunny. So it's a great place to be for the last tournament of the season.

Q. So you're in a new outfit today. Are you in a new deal with Lotto?
MARION BARTOLI: Absolutely. I just signed my contract two days ago.

Q. Congratulations.
MARION BARTOLI: Thank you.

Q. Also, you said you haven't been hitting. What have you been doing in Istanbul?
MARION BARTOLI: No, I say I haven't been hitting on the center court. That doesn't mean I didn't practice for a week. (Smiling.)
I think that would be very lazy for me. But I have been practicing hard every day, but just not in here. In the practice courts. But, you know, I knew I still need to stay focused, because I had one more tournament to be ready for, which was Bali, for sure.
Obviously I wanted to play one match here, and it was great to play two hours-plus here, and hopefully next year I will be able to play more matches in here.

Q. The handshake at the end was quite frosty. Is she always like that?
MARION BARTOLI: I don't know. Maybe Vika was -- you know, it's pretty late. Maybe she just wanted to get some rest and be ready for tomorrow. She's qualified for the semifinal, and I don't know what time is it, but it's around 11:30 or midnight. That's normal that she wanted to go out of the court and get some rest for tomorrow.

Q. It's nice to see you here after Moscow Kremlin Cup. I know you intended to paint Red Square. You did it or maybe you will paint something in Istanbul?
MARION BARTOLI: I started, but as you know, I get a virus in Moscow, was not feeling extremely well, so I had to put my paint on the side. That's something I will finish when I will come back from Bali, for sure.
I love to paint. That's really my main hobby outside of the tennis court. That really helps me to release the stress and really think about something else.
And that's something I'm not too bad at, so I will definitely make sure I will finish this one.

Q. You have been in Istanbul now as a spectator and as a player. Do you think Istanbul is a good location for bidding for the 2020 Olympics? Do you think they have proven themselves to be capable of doing this?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, absolutely. I mean, for the first year of organizing this Championship, I think you can see what an amazing event it has been. It has been almost full every single day. And I can tell, you as a player, it really feels great to play at 11:30 and have the stadium almost full.
I think this event is definitely A class, that's for sure. And I'm sure in nine years from now, they will be ready for organizing the 2020 Olympics.

Q. What do you think? Who will be winner here in Istanbul?
MARION BARTOLI: I'm not very good at prognostic, to be honest with you. Every time I'm picking someone, that's not what happening.
I don't know who is playing against who in the semifinal. That will be hard to say, but who is in the semifinal? Who is playing against who?

Q. Azarenka/Zvonareva and Stosur/Kvitova.
MARION BARTOLI: Um, so I think the final will be maybe Petra against Vika maybe. Really it's a maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe. I think it will be a great final.

Q. Looking at the field, and obviously you have been here, you know, seeing the top 8 over the course of the year, who do you look at as becoming the one who had maybe the best 2011? There's been so much parity and different people winning slams and things like that.
MARION BARTOLI: Well, I think Petra Kvitova has really been stepping up this year. I don't know. I think she started the year around 30 in the world, and she's No. 5 or 4 now. She's been winning Wimbledon, which is huge.
She has been winning huge tournament: Madrid, Wimbledon. So for sure that's someone -- and she's lefty, which is I think definitely a plus. You don't play so many lefties throughout the year.
After that, if Serena and Kim are coming back, it's going to be very challenging, as well. 2011 is not finished yet for me for now, so I will think about 2012 a bit later. But, for sure, if everyone is fit and healthy for next year, I think it will be, especially because it's an Olympic year, I think that would be very interesting.

Q. I like the way you behave on the court, but Vika, she was like stressed about it when you were like doing like warmup or something before serving. Did you feel it, or like you didn't care about it?
MARION BARTOLI: No, because I turn my back always. I'm not -- I always turning my back to my opponent, so I don't want to disturb her in looking into her face and do my stuff.
It's really for me, and I really stay in my bubble. That's why I'm turning my back. So I really don't think I'm disturbing, or in a way it's not like I want to disturb my opponent. It's really something that helps me to play better.
That's why I showing some respect my opponent. I always turning my back and do my stuff not showing to my opponent.

Q. So it's her problem, not yours, that she was stressed or feel not fine about it?
MARION BARTOLI: I don't know. I never had this remark from any other player, so I do this pretty often, and I think I have been the player who has played the most matches this year. I think if I disturb everyone, I will probably get this comment more often.

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