Marion Bartoli Outplays Sabine Lisicki to Take Ladies' Wimbledon Championship 6-1 6-4

France's Marion Bartoli overwhelmed Sabine Lisicki of Germany to take her first Wimbledon tennis title in the Ladies Final on Saturday 6 July, in a convincing win that saw her dominate her opponent from the outset.

Bartoli, the 15<sup>th seed, outplayed the German to take an early lead in the first set, breaking Lisicki to go 3-1, then 5-1 up, and taking the first set barely challenged.

Bartoli had the measure of her opponent from early on, reading her game from the baseline, and overpowering her with flat, heavy passing shots.

For Lisicki, the bookmakers' favourite, and a favourite with male fans, the pressure proved too great as she fought to hold back tears after going a set down, having come through an emotional fourth-round upset when she knocked out five-time champion Serena Williams.

Bartoli broke serve early in the second set to go 3-1 up, and broke again to go 4-1, then 5-1 up, and one game away from the title.

Lisicki struggled to find an answer to Bartoli's relentless pounding, but avoided total humiliation by clinging on to a second service game late in the second set, saving three match points.

Bartoli faltered on the verge of the title, and lost a service game, to allow Lisicki to close the gap to 5-4.

But she held her nerve, taking championship point with an ace in what amounted to a fairly comprehensive drubbing of her opponent.