Marion Bartoli, it turns out, played much of yesterday's match with a stomach virus and an injured leg, which--despite credit to Lilia Osterloh--probably explains her loss. On the one hand (or perhaps I should say the one leg), this news can stifle some of the "Wimbledon was a fluke" talk. On the other hand, Bartoli has always been injury-prone, and if she starts getting injured a lot again, things really will go downhill for her. In 2005, she retired from so many mathces, it was hard to keep track of them.
The degree of viciousness spwewed about Bartoli's Wimbledon success is stunning. She has always been a talented, if unorthodox, player, but she has been hampered by injuries and--I suspect--her head. And while it is true that she weighs more than most of the other players, which may or may not contribute to her court health, the delight people take in making fun of her is obscene. Bartoli has the game to go very far, and I, for one, hope that the Stanford loss doesn't bring her spirits down.
As for the people who like to call Bartoli names--they are injured to a far greater degree than the refreshingly candid and inventive Frenchwoman ever will be.
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