===========
DFS CLASSIC (Edgbaston, Birmingham, England; grass; WTA Tier III)
=========== http://birmingham.lta.org.uk/
Contents
--------

1. My photos
2. Second round: Nakamura v Cîrstea
3. Second round: Bartoli v Cetkovská
4. Articles

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1. My photos
------------

Permission to copy my Birmingham photos is granted provided that:
(a) no money is exchanged;
(b) they are labelled as "Copyright 2008 Andrew Broad".
Please let me know if you do use them on another website.

I have uploaded all my photos for Wednesday 11th June 2008, in one
big zip-file, to:
http://www.divshare.com/download/5232315-595

Wednesday's players:

Nicole Vaidišová (61)
Sania Mirza (30)
Yaroslava Shvedova (30)
Petra Cetkovská (28)
Marion Bartoli (21)
Katie O'Brien (16)
Sorana Cîrstea (14)
Marta Domachowska (13)
Marina Erakovic (13)
Aiko Nakamura (10)
Michaëlla Krajícek (7)
Nathalie Dechy (6)
Ioana Raluca Olaru (4)
MC Vicki Stone (4)
Maria Sharapova poster (1)
Monica Niculescu (1)
Tatiana Poutchek (1)

There's also one photo of Marion Bartoli in my Tuesday photos:
http://www.divshare.com/download/5229165-ae6

-----------------------------------
2. Second round: Nakamura v Cîrstea (Wednesday 11th June)
-----------------------------------

+ AIKO NAKAMURA [17,S] d. Sorana Cîrstea, 6-4 4-6 6-4

I watched the first five games of Nakamura v Cîrstea on Court 2, but
it was pretty boring to be honest, so I went to Centre Court to watch
Shvedova v O'Brien instead.

------------------------------------
3. Second round: Bartoli v Cetkovská (Wednesday 11th June)
------------------------------------

- MARION BARTOLI [1,DF,S] lt. Petra Cetkovská, 7-5 4-6 0-6

This was a good match for the first two sets, with an intriguing
contrast of styles between Marion's heavier, Selesian groundstrokes,
and Cetkovská's lightweight, elegant game that included a lot of
slices on the backhand and some on the forehand too, and a lot of
dropshots. Cetkovská even served for the first set with a set-point
at *5-4 (40/30).

But Marion faded badly in the third set; by *0-4, she was just trying
to hit a winner on every stroke, and she didn't even sit down at the
0-5* changeover. It could not have been plainer that she wanted to
get off court as quickly as possible; what wasn't so obvious from
watching it live was that she was in fact injured.

Since Marion didn't show any obvious signs of injury or take a
medical time-out, I just assumed she had checked out mentally (having
said she needed a break from tennis after her first-round loss at the
French Open), but afterwards, she revealed that her bad wrist had
flared up in the second set.

Marion has simplified her service-action from the 2007 grass-court
season, when she would wrap her fingers very deliberately around the
racket-handle and cock her wrist - those features are gone now, along
with the energy-bounce before each serve.


First set
---------
BARTOLI *@__*@___@*@ 7
CETKOVS __@*__@*@___ 5

The match was third on Centre Court, in cold, windy conditions.
Cetkovská won the toss and chose to receive, and play started at
14:52 BST.

Marion serving 0-0: Service-winner down the middle. 15/0.
Double fault (second serve into the net). 15/15. Marion backhand
long. 15/30. Cetkovská forehand long. 30/30. Cetkovská forehand
return wide. 40/30. Cetkovská forehand long.

Cetkovská serving 0-1: Cetkovská netted a forehand on the third
stroke. 0/15. Cetkovská tried a forehand dropshot, but it gave Marion
a crosscourt forehand pass-winner. 15/15. Cetkovská netted a forehand
on the third stroke. 15/30. Marion netted a forehand return. 30/30.
Double fault (second serve long). 30/40. Cetkovská netted a forehand
on the third stroke.

Marion serving 2-0: Marion crosscourt forehand wide. 0/15.
Cetkovská's deep return forced Marion to hit a backhand wide. 0/30.
Cetkovská backhand dropshot + crosscourt backhand pass-winner. 0/40.
Marion backhand long.

Just as I was about to put my camera away, Cetkovská took her overtop
off! She has wonderful smooth shoulders as well as a pretty face.

Cetkovská serving 1-2: Double fault (second serve into the net).
0/15. Marion forehand wide. 15/15. Marion dumped a forehand halfway
up the net. 30/15. Service-winner out wide. 40/15. Marion hit a
backhand return-winner down Cetkovská's backhand-sideline. 40/30.
Marion down-the-line forehand wide.

Marion serving 2-2: Marion netted a forehand. 0/15. In a long rally,
Marion hit a two-handed forehand volley but retreated from the net,
and eventually hit a crosscourt backhand dropshot-winner. 15/15.
Marion came to the net and hit a forehand smash-winner. 30/15.
Serve out wide + backhand drive-volley winner down the line. 40/15.
Double fault (second serve wide). 40/30. Serve + crosscourt forehand
+ forehand volley-winner down the line.

A serve-and-volley game by Marion!

Cetkovská serving 2-3: Marion hit a down-the-line backhand winner
back behind Cetkovská. 0/15. Cetkovská dumped a forehand halfway up
the net. 0/30. Double fault (second serve into the net). 0/40 (BP).
Cetkovská sliced backhand down the line + off-forehand winner.
15/40 (BP #2). Serve out wide + forehand winner down the line.
30/40 (BP #3). Marion forehand wide. 40/40. Service-winner down the
middle. Ad Cetkovská. She netted a forehand on the third stroke.
Deuce #2. Marion hit a low-bouncing backhand winner down the line.
Ad Marion (BP #4). Marion forehand long. Deuce #3. Marion forehand
return-winner down the line. Ad Marion (BP #5). Cetkovská backhand
dropshot + crosscourt forehand pass-winner. Deuce #4. Marion worked
her way to the net, forcing Cetkovská to net a backhand.
Ad Marion (BP #6). Cetkovská sliced backhand wide.

Marion serving 4-2: Double fault (second serve into the net). 0/15.
Marion hit an error-forcing backhand dropshot. 15/15. Cetkovská
forehand wide. 30/15. Double fault (second serve into the net).
30/30. Serve out wide + off-backhand winner back behind Cetkovská.
40/30. Double fault (second serve into the net). 40/40. Marion hit a
deep crosscourt backhand winner. Ad Marion. Cetkovská hit a forehand
winner down Marion's forehand-sideline. Deuce #2. A close-range
exchange ended with Cetkovská hitting a crosscourt forehand pass-
winner. Ad Cetkovská (BP). Service-winner down the middle. Deuce #3.
A deep return with a bad bounce forced Marion to earth a backhand.
Ad Cetkovská (BP #2). Serve out wide + no-bounce crosscourt backhand
winner. Deuce #4. Marion netted a deep forehand volley, but Cetkovská
hit a crosscourt backhand pass-winner. Ad Cetkovská (BP #3).
Marion opened up the court and went for an off-backhand winner, but
it was just wide.

Cetkovská serving 3-4: Ace out wide. 15/0. Serve out wide +
crosscourt backhand winner back behind Marion. 30/0. A low bounce
forced Marion to net a backhand. 40/0. Ace down the middle.

Marion serving 4-4: Cetkovská forehand long. 15/0. Cetkovská ran down
a dropshot and hit a crosscourt backhand winner. 15/15. Marion came
to the net, but Cetkovská hit an error-forcing crosscourt backhand
pass. 15/30. Cetkovská sliced a backhand pass into the bottom of the
net, and moaned. 30/30. Cetkovská forced Marion to hit a forehand lob
long. 30/40. Cetkovská spread Marion vertically: her dropshot + lob +
dropshot combination forcing Marion to hit a forehand wide.

Marion had a coaching-session with her father: Dr. Walter Bartoli.

Cetkovská serving 5-4: Service-winner out wide. 15/0. Cetkovská's
forehand down the line clipped the netcord and fell wide. 15/15.
Cetkovská netted a running backhand. 30/15. Marion netted a forehand.
30/30. Marion forehand long. 40/30 (SP). Cetkovská sliced a backhand
just wide - it would have been a winner - off a low ball from Marion.
40/40. Cetkovská forehand wide on the third stroke. Ad Marion (BP).
With the wind rising, Cetkovská's deep crosscourt forehand forced
Marion to net a forehand. Deuce #2. Marion spread Cetkovská, forcing
her to net a forehand. Ad Marion (BP #2). Double fault (second serve
into the net).

Marion serving 5-5: Double fault (second serve clipped the netcord,
and was just long). 0/15. Marion forehand netcord-winner. 15/15.
Marion spread Cetkovská, forcing her to slice a forehand wide. 30/15.
Cetkovská netted a forehand return. 40/15. Cetkovská netted a
backhand return.

Cetkovská serving 5-6: Marion's defensive lob induced Cetkovská to
hit a forehand long. 0/15. Cetkovská forehand long. 0/30. Cetkovská
netted a forehand on the third stroke. 0/40. Cetkovská slapped a
forehand into the net to lose the first set 7-5 at 15:41 (49m).

Cetkovská's turn to see her coach.


Second set
----------
BARTOLI __*@*__@__ 4
CETKOVS @*___*@ @* 6

Marion serving 0-0: Marion ran down a dropshot and hit a forehand
winner down the line. 15/0. Marion netted a forehand. 15/15.
Cetkovská forced Marion to earth a forehand. 15/30. Serve out wide +
backhand winner down the line. 30/30. Marion forehand wide. 30/40.
Marion did her only energy-bounce of the match, but it didn't help:
she served a double fault (second serve into the net).

Cetkovská serving 1-0: Marion opened up the court with a crosscourt
forehand, and hit a forehand winner down the line. 0/15. Cetkovská
forehand volley-winner. 15/15. Marion's return forced Cetkovská to
earth a backhand. 15/30. Cetkovská backhand volley-winner. 30/30.
Forehand return wide. 40/30. Marion crosscourt forehand return-
winner. 40/40. Marion spread Cetkovská, forcing her to hit a forehand
lob wide (Marion hit a forehand smash anyway!). Ad Marion (BP).
A meaty rally ended with Cetkovská hitting a backhand dropshot-
winner. Deuce #2. Cetkovská dropshot + forehand pass-winner down the
line: on the baseline. Ad Cetkovská. Marion punished a second serve
with a blazing crosscourt backhand return-winner. Deuce #3.
Marion took the initiative, but netted a backhand volley.
Ad Cetkovská. Marion backhand dropshot-winner. Deuce #4. Crosscourt
backhand return wide. Ad Cetkovská. Marion netted a running forehand.

Marion serving 0-2: Marion hit a deep, error-forcing backhand. 15/0.
Marion backhand long. 15/15. Forehand return long. 30/15. Marion
netted a backhand. 30/30. Double fault (second serve into the net).
30/40 (BP). Marion opened up the court, and hit a crosscourt backhand
winner. 40/40. Cetkovská forced a short ball from Marion, and hit a
forehand winner down Marion's forehand-sideline.
Ad Cetkovská (BP #2). Serve + deep error-forcing crosscourt forehand.
Cetkovská yelled and muttered. Deuce #2. Ace out wide. Ad Marion.
Cetkovská netted a backhand.

More coaching for Marion.

Cetkovská serving 2-1: She netted a backhand on the third stroke.
0/15. Cetkovská played a spreading rally, ending with a crosscourt
backhand volley-winner. 15/15. Service-winner out wide. 30/15.
Cetkovská netted a backhand. 30/30. Marion hit a crosscourt backhand
winner back behind Cetkovská. 30/40. Cetkovská netted a sliced
backhand.

Marion serving 2-2: Ace out wide: on the sideline. 15/0. Cetkovská
sliced backhand long. 30/0. A deep, low-bouncing crosscourt forehand
return forced Marion to hit a forehand long. 30/15. Cetkovská
forehand winner down the line. 30/30. Marion pounced on a high,
floating sliced backhand to hit a backhand volley-winner down the
line. 40/30. Double fault (second serve into the net). 40/40.
Service-winner down the middle. Ad Marion. Cetkovská forehand long.

Cetkovská serving 2-3: Marion backhand wide. 15/0. Cetkovská's low-
bouncing sliced backhand forced Marion to net a backhand. 30/0.
Marion hit an error-forcing crosscourt backhand. 30/15. Cetkovská got
down well to a low ball, hitting a pinpoint forehand winner down the
line: on the sideline. 40/15. Service-winner.

Marion serving 3-3: Cetkovská forced a lob, let it bounce, and hit a
forehand smash-winner. 0/15. Double fault (second serve into the
net). 0/30. Cetkovská worked her way to the net and hit a crosscourt
forehand volley-winner. 0/40. Marion backhand long.

Cetkovská saw her coach at the changeover.

Cetkovská serving 4-3: Cetkovská netted a backhand. 0/15.
Double fault (second serve into the net). 0/30. Cetkovská worked her
way to the net, forcing Marion to hit a crosscourt pass wide. 15/30.
Marion's low-bouncing return forced Cetkovská to net a forehand.
15/40. Cetkovská sliced a backhand wide.

Marion serving 4-4: Cetkovská forehand return just wide. 15/0.
Double fault (second serve wide). 15/15. Cetkovská forehand long.
30/15. Cetkovská netted a sliced backhand. 40/15. Double fault
(second serve wide). 40/30. Marion backhand just long. 40/40.
Cetkovská crosscourt sliced backhand + crosscourt forehand winner.
Ad Cetkovská (BP). She netted a forehand return, and muttered.
Deuce #2. Marion netted a backhand. Ad Cetkovská (BP #2).
Cetkovská off-forehand + crosscourt forehand virtual winner.

Cetkovská serving 5-4: Marion hit a crosscourt backhand drive-volley
winner from no-man's-land. 0/15. Service-winner. 15/15. Cetkovská
crosscourt backhand winner onto the baseline. 30/15. Marion backhand
return very long. 40/15 (SP #1). Service-winner out wide. Cetkovská
won the second set 6-4 at 16:28 (second set 47m, match so far 1h36m).


Third set
---------
BARTOLI ______ 0
CETKOVS @*@*@* 6

Marion serving 0-0: Cetkovská hit a crosscourt forehand pass-winner
that clipped the netcord. 0/15. Marion netted a backhand. 0/30.
Double fault (second serve into the net). 0/40. Marion crosscourt
forehand wide.

Cetkovská serving 1-0: Marion forehand long. 15/0. Serve + crosscourt
forehand winner. 30/0. Cetkovská on the third stroke hit a backhand
dropshot wide from the baseline. 30/15. Serve out wide + well-held
crosscourt forehand winner. 40/15. Ace out wide.

Marion serving 0-2: Serve + crosscourt forehand winner. 15/0. Marion
crosscourt backhand winner. 30/0. Cetkovská forehand pass-winner down
the line. 30/15. Marion crosscourt backhand wide. 30/30. Cetkovská
netted a backhand return. 40/30. Double fault (second serve long).
40/40. Ace down the middle. Ad Cetkovská (BP). She hit a crosscourt
backhand winner off a short ball from Marion.

Cetkovská serving 3-0: Marion netted a backhand volley. 15/0.
Ace down the middle. 40/0. Service-winner.

Marion serving 0-4: Serve + crosscourt forehand winner. 15/0.
Double fault (second serve into the net). 15/15. Double fault (second
serve long). 15/30. Marion on the third stroke hit a forehand very
long. 15/40. Service-winner down the middle. 30/40 (BP). Serve out
wide + crosscourt forehand winner. 40/40. Service-winner down the
middle. Ad Marion. On the third stroke, Marion hit a backhand very
long. Deuce #2. Marion on the third stroke hit a backhand very long.
Ad Cetkovská (BP #2). A low return forced Marion to hit a backhand
wide.

Marion was just trying to hit a winner on every stroke of that game.
She didn't even sit down at the changeover; just walked straight down
to the other end and stood there waiting.

Cetkovská serving 5-0: Ace down the middle: on the service-line.
15/0. Good off-forehand return + off-forehand winner back behind
Cetkovská. 15/15. Marion netted a forehand return. 30/15. Marion
netted a backhand. 40/15 (MP #1). Marion netted a forehand return.
Cetkovská won 5-7 6-4 6-0 at 16:46 (third set 18m, match 1h54m).
Marion didn't shake the umpire's hand.

Cetkovská's on-court interview: "I'm very, very happy. Yeah, I was
not feeling very well at the beginning, but very good at the end."

-----------
4. Articles
-----------

Bartoli a major doubt for Wimbledon [Teletext 495->497]
>>>
Bartoli an injury-doubt [Teletext 497]

Top seed Marion Bartoli is an injury-doubt for Wimbledon after
crashing out of the DFS Classic at Birmingham.

The world No.10, who was runner-up at Wimbledon last year, aggravated
a wrist-injury during the second set of her 5-7 6-4 6-0 defeat to
Petra Cetkovská.

Bartoli said: "My wrist has bothered me since the French Open.
It's really painful, and it's really not a situation where I want to
stay on court."
<<<

Marion Bartoli Questionable for Wimbledon After Losing in Birmingham
Posted by Aaress Lawless
http://www.onthebaseline.com/2008/06/11/marion-bartoli-questionable-
for-wimbledon-after-losing-in-birmingham/
>>>
Last year's Wimbledon-finalist Marion Bartoli may skip the 2008
Championships because of a wrist-injury.

Bartoli was upset in the second round of the DFS Classic on Wednesday
before hinting that she may miss the next Grand Slam.

"It's been bothering me since before the French Open," said Bartoli
in comments published by the AP.

"I've been having treatment, but it's tendinitis, and there is only
so much you can do for that. It seems like 2008 doesn't want me to be
in great shape. I am always having something: some illness or injury."

It has been a disappointing 2008 season for Bartoli, who said that
she will skip Wimbledon "if it's not getting better."

"Missing a Grand Slam, especially Wimbledon, is a huge
disappointment," added the top seed in Birmingham.

After losing to Petra Cetkovská in her opening match 5-7 6-4 6-0,
Bartoli's 2008 match-record fell to 8:14.
<<<

Bartoli loses at Birmingham, may miss Wimbledon (AP)
>>>
Top-seeded Marion Bartoli lost her opening match of the DFS Classic
on Wednesday, and may miss Wimbledon because of a wrist-injury.

Bartoli, the Wimbledon runner-up last year, was upset 5-7 6-4 6-0 by
the 52-ranked Petra Cetkovská. Bartoli, ranked 10th, said her wrist-
injury has hampered her play.

"It's been bothering me since before the French Open," Bartoli
said. "I've been having treatment, but it's tendinitis, and there is
only so much you can do for that. It seems like 2008 doesn't want me
to be in great shape. I am always having something: some illness or
injury."

Bartoli, who also lost to Casey Dell'Acqua of Australia in the first
round of the French Open, said she may miss Wimbledon "if it's not
getting better."

"Missing a Grand Slam, especially Wimbledon, is a huge
disappointment," she said.

Bartoli came from a break down to win the first set 7-5, and was
close to victory at 4-4 in the second. But she appeared to give up
after going down 4-5, dropping the last eight games quickly.

Bartoli sent groundstrokes long or wide, and served four double
faults in her last two service-games.

Asked why she did not retire, Bartoli said: "I always try to be fair
with everyone, and by retiring it becomes like, 'Why can't you find a
solution?' For the crowd, it is better to go on in the match, and for
my opponent, she doesn't feel she has beaten me if I pull out."
<<<

Brits battle but bow out in Birmingham
http://www.lta.org.uk/News/All-news-items/Brits-battle-but-bow-out-in-
Birmingham/
>>>
Melanie South remains to fly the British flag, taking on No.17 seed
Aiko Nakamura in the second match on Centre Court on Thursday. She is
the first British woman since Julie Pullin in 2002 to reach the third
round of the DFS Classic.

No.1 seed Marion Bartoli crashed out in the second round to Petra
Cetkovská 7-5 4-6 0-6, scarcely winning a point in the third set
after inflaming a wrist-injury she sustained in Strasbourg.

Bartoli, who gallantly played on although visibly incapacitated in
the third set, said: "I don't like to retire during the match unless
I really have to; I like to be fair to my opponent. [I feel] quite
sad; last year I was able to play more, but it was hard on my body."
<<<

http://tennis.com/news/ticker.aspx
>>>
Bartoli loses 5-7 6-4 6-0 to Cetkovská at Birmingham, and says wrist-
tendinitis may cause her to miss Wimbledon, where she is the
defending finalist. "I've been having treatment, but it's tendinitis,
and there is only so much you can do for that. It seems like 2008
doesn't want me to be in great shape. I am always having something:
some illness or injury," she said. "Missing a Grand Slam, especially
Wimbledon, [would be] a huge disappointment."
<<<

--------------------------------
2. Third round: Nakamura v South (Thursday 12th June)
--------------------------------

- AIKO NAKAMURA [17,S] lt. Melanie South [WC], 6-2 4-6 4-6

I didn't catch this match, but here are the articles:

Vaidišová, Bondarenko reach Birmingham quarters (PA SportsTicker)
>>>
Among the other seeded players in action, eighth-seeded Michaëlla
Krajícek and No.17 Aiko Nakamura were both upset.

Krajícek was dispatched by Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 6-4, while
Nakamura fell to British wild card Melanie South 2-6 6-4 6-4.

With the victory, South became only the third Brit to reach the
quarter-finals here.

"I started off a little bit nervous, but I had belief in myself,"
South said. "Nakamura is very experienced, but I kept serving well.
I have a very aggressive game and it paid off. When it got to match-
point and Nakamura was serving, I decided to go for it. I'll learn
from it in the future, and hopefully I'll even be able to close the
match out a game earlier."
<<<

Vaidišová and South battle into DFS Classic quarters
http://www.lta.org.uk/News/All-news-items/South-and-Vaidisova-battle-
into-to-DFS-Classic-quarter-finals/
>>>
Nicole Vaidišová had to fight hard to overcome Elena Makarova of
Russia in their third-round match, while Melanie South delighted
Edgbaston Priory crowds, reaching the quarter-finals of the DFS
Classic in Birmingham.

Before Vaidišová took to the court, South, from Surrey, became the
first British woman since Jo Durie in 1992 to reach the quarter-
finals of the WTA Tour event with a 2-6 6-4 6-4 victory over world
No.78 Aiko Nakamura of Japan.

The 22-year-old was understandably delighted with her result.
"I started off a little nervous, but after I lost the first set,
I still had the belief that I could turn it around," she said.

"She was hitting a lot of lines in the first set, but I've got an
aggressive game and I knew I should be the one attacking.

"This means everything to me - I've worked hard all year with my
coach and my fitness-coach. It's amazing; I'm really pleased.
I came in here believing I could do well here on grass."
<<<

Down To Three Seeds as Quarter-final Line-Up Set
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2331
>>>
Other seeds in action were No.12 seed Kateryna Bondarenko - a 4-6 6-4
7-5 winner over lucky loser Melinda Czink - and No.17-seeded Aiko
Nakamura, who fell to British wildcard Melanie South 2-6 6-4 6-4.

"I started off a little bit nervous, but I had belief in myself,"
said South, who reached her first ever Tour quarter-final.
"Nakamura is very experienced, but I kept serving well. I have a very
aggressive game and it paid off. When it got to match-point and
Nakamura was serving, I decided to go for it. I'll learn from it in
the future, and hopefully I'll even be able to close the match out a
game earlier."
<<<

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/seles/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/seles/selesians.html