They say in tennis winning the last point of a grand finale is the toughest challenge a player gets. This is what distinguishes the winners from the losers. Only the genuine champions have the ability and the nerves to remain strong when it matters most and to win. No matter how someone got to play, or what he/she has achieved, if a tennis player does not win that final point, everything he/ she has done up to that stage is to no avail. Losing hurts. It leaves you miserable and frustration soon takes over. This is why no one likes to lose. Especially not a match you feel you ought to have won or a title you truly deserved after playing unbelievable tennis and giving your utmost best in every match.
I bet this is exactly how Marion Bartoli and Maria Kirilenko felt after they both lost the finals of Paris indoor, respectively Pattaya Open. In Marion's case, her excruciating pain was so intense that uncontrollable tears were pouring down her face for the entire awards ceremony, reminding us a bit of Martina Hingis' 1999 Parisian drama.
Seeded second at her home event, the Frenchwoman struggled all week, but her fierce determination eventually saw her through to the final. Her biggest comeback came in the quarterfinals, where she rallied from 1-4 down in the second set and 2-5 in the third to ensure a spectacular 4-6,6-4,7-6 win over Italian Roberta Vinci. She continued the trend in the semifinals, recovering from 3-5 down in the first set to storm past Czech Klara Zakopalova. Playing in her second final on home soil after the one in Strasbourg in 2011, Marion was ready to take the laurels of a great week. The only thing she needed to do was to defeat in-form Angelique Kerber. She was the heavy favourite though, having beaten the German easily in their last three meetings. Nevertheless, tennis is an unpredictable game and it was Kerber who was the strongest. Although Marion pulled off another astonishing comeback to take the second set, her opponent closed out the nearly three hour epic, leaving the Frenchwoman sobbing her frustration in front of the partisan crowd.
It was more or less the same story with Kirilenko. After fighting off a match point in her inaugural match against Australian Casey Dellacqua and surviving a stiff challenge from Rodionova in the second round, Maria looked well poised for a great result in Pattaya. Having ended the run of veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn, she then succumbed rejuvenated Romanian Sorana Cirstea in the semifinals, Maria set a final clash with defending champion Daniela Hantuchova and looked determined to collect her first title since Seoul 2008. Even though she started well, winning the first set on a tiebreak, the Russian beauty quickly faded away allowing the Slovak to take charge. Hantuchova produced some inspired tennis which enabled her to retain her trophy, leaving Maria to rue on yet another missed opportunity.
photos: L'Equipe, AFP
Seeded second at her home event, the Frenchwoman struggled all week, but her fierce determination eventually saw her through to the final. Her biggest comeback came in the quarterfinals, where she rallied from 1-4 down in the second set and 2-5 in the third to ensure a spectacular 4-6,6-4,7-6 win over Italian Roberta Vinci. She continued the trend in the semifinals, recovering from 3-5 down in the first set to storm past Czech Klara Zakopalova. Playing in her second final on home soil after the one in Strasbourg in 2011, Marion was ready to take the laurels of a great week. The only thing she needed to do was to defeat in-form Angelique Kerber. She was the heavy favourite though, having beaten the German easily in their last three meetings. Nevertheless, tennis is an unpredictable game and it was Kerber who was the strongest. Although Marion pulled off another astonishing comeback to take the second set, her opponent closed out the nearly three hour epic, leaving the Frenchwoman sobbing her frustration in front of the partisan crowd.
It was more or less the same story with Kirilenko. After fighting off a match point in her inaugural match against Australian Casey Dellacqua and surviving a stiff challenge from Rodionova in the second round, Maria looked well poised for a great result in Pattaya. Having ended the run of veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn, she then succumbed rejuvenated Romanian Sorana Cirstea in the semifinals, Maria set a final clash with defending champion Daniela Hantuchova and looked determined to collect her first title since Seoul 2008. Even though she started well, winning the first set on a tiebreak, the Russian beauty quickly faded away allowing the Slovak to take charge. Hantuchova produced some inspired tennis which enabled her to retain her trophy, leaving Maria to rue on yet another missed opportunity.
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| After some sensational comebacks, Marion Bartoli run out of luck when she needed it the most, losing the final of the Paris Indoor Open to German Angelique Kerber, 6-7,7-5,3-6. |
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| Maria Kirilenko also let a great chance go to waste, losing the Pattaya final to Slovak Daniela Hantuchova, 7-6,3-6,3-6. |
photos: L'Equipe, AFP
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