MELBOURNE, Australia - Marion Bartoli not only comes to the Australian Open in good form - she reached the final two weeks ago in Brisbane - but she is also no stranger to Grand Slam success, having been to several second weeks in her career. There's no one better to kick off the blogging season then, as the Frenchwoman writes the first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Player Blog of 2009 for us from Down Under in Melbourne.
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Hello everyone,
Even if I lost today, I am pretty happy about my overall performance. Vera was just too good. I'm leaving Australia now to go back home to Geneva, Switzerland. I'll be practicing there for 10 days before going to Dubai.
Yesterday, I went for a ride on a carousel with a beautiful horse. I'm just an animal lover. I always carry pictures of my cat with me - she is so cute!
Anyway, it was a pleasure to do this blog during the Australian Open. I'm looking forward to doing it again.
Marion
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Sunday, January 25, 2009
As you may have heard, I beat Jelena Jankovic today. I just came from an hour and a half of press, and I still have another interview left to go, with a French newspaper. So by the end of it all it'll be two hours of press, which is a record for me! It's about 3pm now, and I haven't had anything to eat since I had breakfast at 6am! But I'm hanging tough >:)
I've already said I never played this well in Australia, but it just gets better and better. The other day when I was down 63 20, I didn't know if I would still be here today. Lucie was hitting the lines and giving me no chance at all - she was too good. But I began to focus even harder and fought as hard as I could, and I was able to raise my game and win. I think I continued that today. It felt like everything I did was going in and I hit lots of winners too. I'm even prouder because it was the first time I ever played on Rod Laver Arena - I'm so happy to have put on this kind of performance for the Australian fans. I'm so, so happy.
After the match, Jelena's coach came and congratulated me, saying I played really well and made it hard for Jelena to do anything. It was a really nice gesture! I haven't spoken to Jelena since the match, mainly because both of us have been doing so many interviews! But we'll talk soon I'm sure.
When I said I was going to take yesterday off from everything, I meant it! I really shut down. No phone, no e-mail, nothing. I was exhausted. I had some tough matches in the first week and I was first on today, so I needed to be rested. And it worked so well - I felt so ready when I was going onto the court today. They say the second week of a Grand Slam is a new tournament.
Tonight and tomorrow I'll rest again, because the matches are only going to get tougher and tougher. I'm playing Zvonareva or Petrova, who are both so tough. Vera is more consistent - it feels like she only makes one unforced error per match. Nadia's shots are probably harder but she can make more errors. But it doesn't matter who I play, I'll have to put in a really good performance.
Hopefully you'll all understand if I take another day off tomorrow! I have one activity planned, to visit the Melbourne Aquarium. They even have penguins there :) I'll tell you all about it on Tuesday after my quarterfinal.
Thanks again for all of your support,
Marion
What was your fitness routine in the off-season? David, USA
I practiced really hard for Australia this year. In the 2007 off-season I played the Sony Ericsson Championships in Madrid in November, so after that I didn't have too long to work on things; this off-season I had a full eight weeks to train, and it helped me a lot. The biggest difference from my normal routine was running - I ran a lot of miles in the off-season! It was tough but really worth it.
Who do you think is the most handsome men's player? Angélica, Peru
I will go with Roger, because I just love him so much! I can't even look for someone else. So, my answer is Mr. Federer :)
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Friday, January 23, 2009
It was difficult, but my match with Lucie Safarova ended up being really great. She was playing really, really well at the beginning and was even up 63 20, but I was able to come back and win. I'm so happy about it. It was also really exciting to have so much support in the crowd, not just the French fans but also Australians. When Lucie was hitting lines they were cheering for me and it helped me to keep fighting. I started playing better after the first few games of the second set and when I got that set in my pocket it got even better. It's my first time in the fourth round in Australia, which is so exciting for me - I've never played so well here! Next match I have Jelena Jankovic, the No.1 player in the world, so that'll be a real challenge, obviously!
Right now, I'm so tired. I feel like I need to rest a lot before my next match. I'm going to take tomorrow completely off - hopefully you'll all forgive me if I also take one day off from the blog :) I will definitely write again on Sunday!
I'll talk to you all then... have a good weekend! And send in more questions!!
Marion
Your name sounds Italian, do you have any Italian in your family background? John, Australia
My name is actually Corsican. Corsica is an island that belongs to France, just off of Italy. My grandmother (on my dad's side) was Italian, so we do have a bit of both! Our relatives are from a small village in Corsica. It's nice that our family name lives on somewhere else. My parents went back there recently; I'd like to go back and I will for sure, but right now I'm very busy with tennis!
Do you think you will reach another Grand Slam final, or win one? And where do you think it will happen? Florian, France
If it happens, I think it will be at Wimbledon again. It's by far my best surface. Maybe even this year... Right now I'm playing really well, I'm fit physically and if I can keep it up I think I'll definitely have another chance.
If you were granted one wish, what would you wish for? James, USA
Playing tennis like Roger Federer! Of course, I'll be watching his match tonight. As I've already said, I'm a huge, HUGE fan of his :)
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Thursday, January 22, 2009
My day off today was work, work, work and then rest! I did a lot of physical training during my day off - about two and a half hours of it, then half an hour of treatment on my calf too. By the end I was very tired so I was resting in my room at the hotel for a while. Our TVs have giant screens, which is perfect to watch tennis! I watched Stosur's match, which she won. I also saw some of Nadal's match. At about 5pm we went outside and had a nice coffee with some ice cream too :)
I've seen the schedule for tomorrow, and I'm third on. I've played Safarova in the past and I've always won; it makes you feel good, mentally, if you have a good record against a player going in. But she is talented and very dangerous, and she has done well here before, so I know it'll be a tough match. Hopefully it won't be too windy and gusty like it has been the last few days in Melbourne.
I also have to tell you about the casino last night! I played blackjack. Actually my dad was playing first and I watched him for a little bit, then played myself. He's an expert so I try to study him when I can! I was very happy because I started with $20 and won $60! I stopped there. I was doing the doubling, splitting, everything... I really enjoyed myself. I would have played poker too but the tables were full, and I also wanted to quit while I was ahead :) Maybe if I win my next match I'll try some poker!
Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to you all again tomorrow!
Marion
If you weren't a tennis player, what would you be? Sean, Australia
I would love to be the CEO of something - the top of the board. I did well at school, probably better than I did at tennis! I can see myself as an architect too. My uncle is a CEO and my two aunts and my father are doctors, so I come from quite a successful family :) And from tennis I get to see a lot of the world and learn different languages, which could be useful. In my mind I really wanted to be a tennis player. I'm not sure what I'll do after I stop playing; I'd like to have a husband and kids, maybe. But there's still a lot of time left to play, so I haven't really thought too too far ahead! Right now I'm pretty focused on tennis.
Will you be playing doubles this year? Thibaut, France
I'm actually not planning to this year. It's hard to play well when you're playing both singles and doubles. I hate to lose, even if it's doubles! You also have to practice for both. For now I'm focusing on singles. But I'm not saying I'll never play doubles again - just for now, I need to put all of my energy into singles.
You wrote you have an iPod, what are your favorite songs? Loic, France
Right now I have a mix of everything: some Coldplay songs (Viva La Vida, Lovers in Japan), Katy Perry (Hot 'n' Cold, I Kissed a Girl), Kanye West... Some French songs as well. My dad says I listen too much, like recently he caught me listening for four hours in a row. I have some pictures, video and podcasts too. Pretty much everything. I have so many gadgets. I have several phones (of course Sony Ericsson!), two laptops... Another thing I spend time doing is Sudoku. I play a game called Sudoku Challenge when I'm in the road, and there's also this website where you can play online and have a ranking, and since I'm very, very competitive I'm trying to get as high as possible there! So my tennis ranking isn't the only one I'm working on :)
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Wednesday, January 21, 2009
As you may have seen, I had a good match today! I've never been to the third round of the Australian Open - I'm just so happy about it. When I played Pironkova last year I won 7-5 in the third set but today I won in straight sets, which is much better. I played much better than I did in the first round too. I'm really happy about this win, as you can probably tell!
Some have told me I look like I did some physical work in the off-season. It's true, except I've actually been working at it much longer. From last July I was fitter than I was in the first six months of the year. In the off-season I did lots of running and harder workouts, and it's really starting to show here. It can get so hot here and the surface is slow - so rallies are longer - and you have to be ready for it. I felt great physically today and I think my opponent was struggling, and when you see that it gives you a huge mental advantage.
I had the normal routine today: two hours of preparation for the match, part tennis and part physical warm-up. The men's match before me was surprisingly quick - the guy won three sets in an hour and a half, which is really fast for men's tennis - so I had to prepare really quickly! I just did about an hour of press, and after I write the blog I'll start on what I hope to be a relaxing, fun night! There's a casino at the hotel I'm hoping to go to tonight. I really like all the card games - blackjack, poker... I don't like roulette so much. I prefer playing games that aren't just luck, but strategy too. There are movies, restaurants, coffee, ice cream... there's everything at our hotel, and I'm hoping to enjoy it tonight!
Tomorrow there's a Versace sale I might check out, so I can pick something out to get when I get my prize money at the end of the tournament :) There's also a track around the river I might do a lap around. It's just so beautiful here.
Time for some questions, then I'll talk to you all again tomorrow!
Marion
How did you pass the time on the flight to Australia? Kelly, Canada
It was a long flight! Usually I bring my computer and listen to music, or watch movies on the plane. But if I watch too many movies, I arrive and I'm dead! This time I did watch a movie - Mamma Mia, with Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep - but other than that I just tried to sleep as much as possible.
What are your favorite places to visit? Adrian, Ireland
Paris and New York City. I love those cities. I can't pick between the two, I like them both as much as each other. The shopping has a lot to do with it... I'm a shopping addict :)
Your profile says you have two cats. Who takes care of them when you're on the road? Jennifer, US
Actually, I only have one cat now. I used to have two, but when we moved from France to Switzerland, one got lost, and it never came back. I guess it got lost forever... I was and still am really sad about that :( But we still have the other one, and she's really cute, especially her face, which is half white and half black. We got her when she was only two weeks old. When I was a kid I used to take her to school with me in my bag - she was so small! I used to take her along to tournaments all the time, too. I miss her sometimes when I'm on the road and far from home, but I always carry a picture with me :) My mom looks after her.
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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Hello again everyone,
It was really hot and windy outside today, so I just had a light practice and did some of my exercises in the gym. I watched a lot of tennis today, actually! It's always nice to see everyone else playing - it's definitely less stressful to watch than play! I watched some of Razzano's match when I was on site, then when I came back to the hotel I was watching some of the Hewitt-González match on television. It was really interesting. I'm sure the Australian fans are disappointed he lost, but they both played really well and it was a great match.
Tennis is on TV here almost 12 hours a day, which is great for me because as you can probably tell, I'm a tennis addict :) I haven't really had a chance to watch anything else, but sometimes I do listen to music on my iPod even when it's on. I also use it in the gym, because I find music helps you keep going when you're working hard. My dad says I listen to my iPod a bit too much!
I just got the schedule for tomorrow. I'm third match on, which can be tough because you don't know how long the matches before you will go. But it's good because you know you'll play in the afternoon sometime, and it won't be too late.
I've booked my practice and I'm all set for another good day in Melbourne! I'm playing Tsvetana Pironkova. I played her before and beat her, and if you look at our rankings then you could say I'm supposed to win, but this is a Grand Slam and anything can happen. Especially here in Australia, it can be hot one day, cold the next day and windy too, so I am just going to try my best.
We haven't decided where we'll be having dinner tonight, but there's a French restaurant at the hotel that we might try. We can have a nice dinner and a coffee then just hang out, maybe relax by the river and take a short walk. It'll probably still be pretty hot out tonight so I probably won't stay out too long. And I can't go to bed too late, I really need to get some sleep! Today was a day off, but for tomorrow I need to focus on my tennis again :)
Thanks for sending in your questions! I'm going to answer some of them now and then I'll talk to you again tomorrow...
Marion
I've seen pictures of you signing autographs with your left hand, but you play right-handed. Are you a righty or lefty? - Giordano, Italy
I play tennis right-handed, but I do pretty much everything else left-handed. My dad is right-handed and when he was teaching me how to play it was easier for him if I played right-handed. He tells me when I started hitting tennis balls I was hitting every single ball just fine playing right-handed, so that's how it began! As for the autographs, I can write with both hands, but it comes easier with the left.
Who are your best friends on the Tour? - Shira
I have a lot of friends on the Tour! Daniela Hantuchova, Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki, Shahar Peer... it's hard to pick best friends though. Let's say I get along with a lot of the other players!
Do you have any favorite men's players? - Joehan, Indonesia
Right now I'm a big, big Roger fan. Last night I watched his match on TV, even though it went pretty late. I couldn't turn it off! Sometimes I get really upset if he's losing but last night he won, so I was fine. I have an autographed picture of him. The other day we had an IMG player party - we both have the same company - and unfortunately he left five minutes before I got there! I'll ask him next time for a picture with me.
Before Roger, my favorite was Pete Sampras. I actually have a signed shirt from Pete! When I was 15, I was playing at the Orange Bowl, and his coach Paul Annacone was there to see some juniors. I was playing with the same strings as Pete, and the guy from the stringing company introduced me to Paul and said I was a huge fan of Pete's, and Paul told me that if I won the tournament I'd get a signed shirt. I ended up winning that tournament and six months later at Roland Garros I got it! It was a GREAT DAY. I've had it in my bedroom for about 10 years now. I actually got to meet Pete when I won the US Open juniors too, which was the same year he played Lleyton Hewitt in the final. I went to get my trophy on Arthur Ashe and I met him and his wife right before the final... it was amazing!
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Monday, January 19, 2009
Welcome to my blog! This is my second one, but it has been a while since my first one - I blogged from Seoul a few years ago - so I'm looking forward to catching up with all of you again.
I had a good first week of the season in Brisbane. I got there a week earlier to practice, but I also saw some of the city, and it's really beautiful. We had dinner on the river and also spent New Year's Eve there, because the tournament had the player party that night. They had nice fireworks! I ended up playing really well there too, making it to the final. The next week in Sydney wasn't so good because I injured my calf and had to retire from my first match. I was actually doubtful about playing the Australian Open; thankfully I was able to come here.
I've been in Melbourne for five days now. We're staying in a really nice hotel - when I'm there I can just escape from tennis, because they have a casino, a cinema, and of course lots of shopping :) I've already picked out some good stuff I'll buy at the end of the tournament. So, so far so good!
I just played my first round match and won against Melanie South, 62 64. She was the player I retired against in Sydney, which was quite the coincidence! At the beginning of the second set I felt some pain in my calf and thought, 'Gosh, it's going to happen all over again!' I was so scared. I started playing badly and was actually down 4-1 in the second set. It was hard mentally for me to come back from that, but luckily I was able to come through in straight sets. I'm really happy about this win. After I finish writing the blog I'll go and get some treatment on my calf, then go back to the hotel and see what my dad says about it (he's a doctor!)
I'll probably take it easy tonight. We'll have a nice dinner. I have tomorrow off, so it'll hopefully be a stress-free day. I'll write some more to you guys then!
Marion
