Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli has had success at most majors. There was her unexpected run to the 2007 Wimbledon final, and last year her inspired play at Roland Garros, where she captured the hearts of a once lukewarm public in reaching the semifinals. In between was a memorable performance at Australian Open 2009, where she knocked out world No.1 and top seed Jelena Jankovic on her path to the quarterfinals.
It’s safe to say she knows what it takes to compete successfully at Grand Slam level and handle whatever conditions are thrown at her. However, one thing she says she can never get comfortable with is the heat of the Melbourne summer.
“When I did (do well here) in 2009, I played against Jelena and it was 42 degrees (Celsius). You have to stand there in 42 degrees and your legs almost feel like they’re not moving ... you have this hot wind to your face and you have stand there and still play tennis ... I can tell you it’s really hard,” she says.
“And the next day I played Vera (Zvonareva) and it was 44 degrees ... it was so hot I almost felt like I was going to die on the court.
“That’s why this year I played in Perth (at the Hopman Cup), and although the matches were played indoors all my practice was outdoors ... I think I had the best preparation you can have in Perth. It was honestly brutal heat over there, it was 35 degrees-plus every day.”
Having come through similarly stifling conditions against compatriot Virginie Razzano in the first round, Bartoli had the chance to enjoy the cooler conditions of evening play beneath the lights of Rod Laver Arena when she beat local Jelena Dokic on Thursday night.
“I remember I had this great match in 2009 against Lucy Safarova playing on Margaret Court Arena and we had the French flag all over the place and people were singing the national anthem between points, which never happens before to me, and I think that was probably the best ever feeling I had on the tennis court,” she recalls.
“Just having the people who are really rooting for their players makes it so nice to be part of it, even if it’s against you. It’s just a really nice feeling to have the crowd involved in a match.”
Bartoli first came to Australia 10 years ago, and remembers being pleasantly surprised by the welcoming nature of the locals and how players were so well cared for. It’s one of the reasons why she simply loves Australia and enjoys the opportunity to return to compete here each year.
Australians are a proud lot who love their country, and there’s nothing more they respond to than hearing visitors echo their sentiments. No doubt the charming Frenchwoman will be held in even higher esteem after her comments about local hero Lleyton Hewitt, whom Bartoli had the chance to play against in the Hopman Cup.
“I thought he was really sweet with me. Every time I was hitting a good shot he was like ‘great shot’, or ‘that was too good’, or whatever, and I thought that was really nice,” she recounts.
“Obviously (with) his work ethic and the way never gives up on the court, I think he’s really a role model for anyone.”
In fact, the only negative thing Bartoli has to say about the land Down Under is, of all things, about Show Court 2 at Melbourne Park. Having had plenty of significant wins on many courts at the Australian Open, that court is not one of them.
As a junior, Bartoli had built a 35-match winning streak that included a victory at the prestigious Orange Bowl event, only for it to be snapped on Show Court 2. In 2008, she arrived as a top 10 player for the first time, yet lost in the opening round on the same court in a three-hour epic. And last year – yet again on Show Court 2 – she tore her calf muscle, forcing her to spend time on crutches and endure a miserable 20-hour flight back to Europe.
Despite the court being somewhat jinxed for her, it doesn’t detract from her enjoyment of the city. Bartoli says one of her favourite activities in Melbourne is to begin her day with a run along the Yarra River before enjoying a coffee on the riverbank after her hard work is done.
“I think there is nothing better when you’ve finished your run, to stay there in the grass and have your coffee and your piece of cake or croissant ... look at the city and relax,” she says.
“It’s very natural here in Melbourne, which I love. The nature of the river and the grass, and people who are just extremely nice and welcoming.”
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