Updated 08:00: (UK) Tue 06/01/09



Bartoli Turns Up The Heat In Brisbane

It is evening down in Australia, but if you reside here in Europe then you will be waking up this morning to great news of another victory for Marion. All at sea in the first set Marion salvaged victory with a superb dominant performance to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 in less than 90 minutes.

After playing professionally for a combined total of more than 17 years between them, It has nevertheless taken until 2009 for these players to meet competitively. On the evidence of today’s outcome it should be a while before their divergent career paths converge again.

The match started promisingly enough with Marion breaking her Hungarian opponent in the opening game of the match. However Marion’s good work was quickly undone when she served back to back double faults in the next game.

Perhaps Czink felt that she needed to take some risks to give herself a chance against Marion, as she was serving strongly, even riskily during the first set.

Then back to back aces began to reign down from Czink’s racquet on her second hold, and the first service points also kept coming her way.

At 4-4 in the first set both players went on to serve 4 double faults in the next two games, but both of them still held  on for 5-5.

Disaster struck in the next game as Marion was broken to love. Leaving Czink to serve out for the set.

If statistics are the bearer of all truth, then Czink was deserving of that first set. Her percentage was much higher, and overall points won showed some daylight.

At this stage it’s hard to say what happened, but Marion composed herself in the second set and started burning more coal in the engine room.

Winning the first eight points of the second set earned Marion the break for 2-0.

Marion was now winning more points on her serve, and getting through games more quickly. Her opponent's double fault count began to climb, and her grip on the match was slipping.

A double break up, Marion served for the second set, taking it at the second point of asking. The tide had turned.

It had taken until the fifth game of the second set for Marion to serve up her first Ace, but by the same stage of the third set Marion had fired out her 5th ace to put clear blue water between her and the stricken Hungarian.

By the time Marion Had secured the double break for 4-0 in the final set, Czink had only won four points, one of which was a Bartoli double fault.

Czink got on the scoreboard during the difficult closing out phase, for 5-1, but Marion's aerial bombardment was unrelenting.

Let.. Ace..  love 30.. second serve.. 30 all.. keep the fire burning.. match point., Done.

Not too painful in the end. Marion is through to the quarter final where she will meet Tat Garbin, who caused another minor upset at Brisbane by beating Alisa Kleybanova in three sets.

For rolling updates visit the blog  Marion Bartoli Fan Blog.