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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 16, 2011

Marion Bartoli

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

M. BARTOLI/A. Ivanovic
6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It was a very big celebration for a quarterfinal win. Was that because you weren't feeling well?
MARION BARTOLI: Yeah, I mean, exactly. Since this morning I noticed I felt quite bad. I was not able to eat any breakfast. I slept before my match, because I was really feeling sick.
I went on court, and at the beginning, the weather was that hot, so it kind of helped me. But then it started to feel really hot. And then in the end of the first set I was definitely not feeling very good. So to be able to still win these kind of matches against a player as good as Ana, it means a lot to me.
Being in the semifinal was really huge, so I didn't even thought about the celebration. It comes out naturally because I was really happy.

Q. So you have a flu? Is that what you have? Or a virus? Something that's giving you fever?
MARION BARTOLI: I just saw the doctor. It's more start of, yeah, a virus or something that I got inside my stomach somehow. He says it can go away or stay there, but it was pretty -- he was pretty amazed the way I still handled it.
You know, I'm quite tough. Tomorrow I have a day off. My dad is a doctor.

Q. How did you get that much energy in the second set? You were running a lot for somebody who was sick.
MARION BARTOLI: I know, but sometimes I just -- I was taking a lot of time between the points, like walking very slowly. I really took the bit of energy I still have in my body to try to save it.
You know, I think in a way it helped me to relax. But also, I knew I had to finish in two sets, because in three would have been very difficult.
So I think the way I handled the end of the match was -- I mean, I'm quite proud about myself, to be honest.

Q. Could you feel she was gathering a lot of momentum near the end of the second set so you really had to shut it out?
MARION BARTOLI: The thing about Ana, sometimes she just play too good, and even if you come up with some great points, she just fire back with some amazing shot.
Sometimes she was breaking me to love and I was not even serving poorly. It was just because she was coming always too good. So it was very tough for me to fight against her name and fight against my illness.
But in the end, I think the tiebreak we played was very good, especially on my side. You know, I think I'm very pleased with the performance, considering the way I was feeling on court.

Q. Did you feel a little bit her quality was improving as the match went on, or was that not something you sensed?
MARION BARTOLI: I think we both -- what was interesting, I think we both raised our level towards the end, and I think it was exciting for the crowd. We just gave our best and we had some great rallies.
I played a lot better than yesterday against Kim. I think what was interesting is we both come out with good at the same time, so we have some good rallies and some good exchange.

Q. There are many players out on the tour who have very classic strokes. You obviously have different hitches and grips and so forth.
MARION BARTOLI: Grips? Different grips? You think so? My grips on the backhand is not as everyone, I think?

Q. In any case...
MARION BARTOLI: Maybe your technique, technique-wise you are better than mine, but I think my backhand is pretty classy.

Q. No, I'm not. But my question is: Do you think your difference on your strokes and your serve, do you think that helps you in some way against opponents or not?
MARION BARTOLI: I don't think my technique is different, apart from playing two handed on both sides. That is the only thing that is different.
What makes maybe me different is the way my ball is traveling through the air. I'm playing very flat and my ball is not very bouncing high. That's probably the main difference - and that's why I'm having some success on grass - is because my ball is quick into the court and I'm not putting any topspin.
But otherwise, if you really analyze my backhand technically, it's just exactly the same that everyone. I have the same grip, the way I'm hitting the ball is totally the same way.
But the thing is the quality of ball I'm giving, it's different because it's very, very flat. That's it. That's the only difference.

Q. In between the points you take a lot of practice swings and service motions. Is that just a mental game to psych yourself up for the next point?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, yeah. Today I had some tough moments and I was not able to do it. But usually is when I'm in great shape, it's important for me to stay focused and to be ready for the next point.
When I'm playing at my best, I have some short points. I'm able to win the point very shortly. So I need to make sure I'm ready to hit the first ball very good, and that's why I'm doing some practices between points.
But today was extremely tough to do it, because I have really not very much of energy left.

Q. I think this is your seventh tournament just to start the year. Do you ever get tired of the travel, just the week-to-week grind?
MARION BARTOLI: Not at all.

Q. Not at all? Not even a little bit?
MARION BARTOLI: Not even a little bit. I'm totally enjoying what I'm doing, and I think I'm very lucky to be where I am. I have my tough moments at Melbourne when I had to finish the match on one leg and take the plane on crutches and come back home and sit in the couch and seeing the other one playing.
At that moment, I really felt like I was missing what I was loving the most. It really helps me when I came back in Dubai to really enjoy big on the court and to play, just to play.
I think just to see it as negative side, say, Oh, we have to traveling a lot, it's not the way I'm seeing it. I'm very lucky to be where I am and to do what I'm doing. There is a lot of kids in the world who would like to be where I am.
I'm really trying to take it as a positive way. Of course sometimes it's tiring because you have some long journey, but at the end of the day, I'm very lucky to be where I am.

Q. So you are not lying on the couch watching the Australian Open saying, Oh, this is nice? I don't have to get up today?
MARION BARTOLI: No. I was turning on the TV, and the first thing that was coming on was Australian Open. I was like, Okay. Turn off. I couldn't even watch it. It was terrible.
It was really hard to take it in mentally, I mean, being there at home. I really felt I should be in Melbourne playing and not be there watching the other one.

Q. Having not played your best tennis yesterday against Kim, how concerned were you coming into today's match?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, I was not really concerned, because, you know, I have some few years now behind my back, and knowing that one day you can play not your best and the next day you can come out playing a lot better.
So, I mean, it's not because you play poorly or badly one day that is gonna be the same way the next one. Every day is different, and every day is a new start.
So yesterday was my first time on center court, play against Kim who plays extremely fast, and it was difficult.
But today I just -- well, I start the match a lot better. I knew it was just a new day, so I was not really concerned about it.

Q. If you win your next game and Caroline Wozniacki keeps her seed, then there's a good opportunity for you to make it further than you have at Indian Wells. What is your opportunity of the remaining competition at the tournament?
MARION BARTOLI: Well, to be honest, I don't think of my semifinal yet. What I'm really thinking is it's just rest and really save some energy before my next match.
Of course, I already beat Shahar or Yanina. But as I say, a new match is a new match, and every time it's just a new start. So I have to be very careful. They are two extremely tough opponents. They are very hard on the court mentally. Every matches we played were extremely tough.
So I don't have to think too far ahead. I'm already in the semifinal, which is great. I just have to really remain focused and not thinking about being in the final or whatever yet.

Q. You have been the top French player more or less since Pierce and Mauresmo went away. Does that matter to you?
MARION BARTOLI: Yes. Honestly, yes. I always enjoy to be No. 1, even at school. I was a lot more No. 1 at school than in tennis before.
But, yes, I took the leadership in 2007, and since that holding on to it. But, yes, it's very important to me to be No. 1 in France. Of course, trying to improve my single ranking on the WTA Tour, as well. But I took it very seriously, yes.

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