After weeks of attrition among the women's top-ranked players, Wimbledon finally fulfilled its obligation of holding a championship match. The winner didn't limp her way through the tournament. Under the guise of anonymity, Marion Bartoli stormed through the field and didn’t drop a single set en route to her first Grand Slam title.Her 6-1, 6-4 victory over German Sabine Lisicki was redemption for her loss six years ago in the All England Club Final.
Via ESPN:
"Honestly, I just can't believe it," Bartoli said. "I dreamed about this moment for so long, since I was 6 years old. I was here in 2007, and I know how it feels [to lose]."
In her on-court interview, Lisicki was still wiping away tears. She was brutally honest.
"I was just overwhelmed by the whole situation," Lisicki said, voice quavering. "Credit to Marion, she's been in that situation and she handled it well.
"I hope I will get the chance one more time."
The top three seeds — Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova — were all gone before the quarterfinals, but that created some unprecedented opportunities. None of the four semifinalists had ever won a Grand Slam singles title, and when they were down to two, it was the No. 23 seed (Lisicki) versus the No. 15 (Bartoli).
It's not her fault, but Bartoli is the first player to win the title at Wimbledon without facing a top-15 seed en route. It had only happened previously at one Grand Slam in the Open era, when a player won the title without facing a top-15 seed: the 1976 French Open (Sue Barker). Bartoli's first four opponents were unseeded, and the highest-seeded player she beat was No. 17 Sloane Stephens.
