Bartoli falls to her nemesis in Indian Wells

In seven tries, Marion Bartoli has defeated Shahar Peer only once. That was at Wimbledon in 2007, in the third round--their only match on grass. Bartoli was on a mission then, too, and whacked the likes of Jelena Jankovic and Jutine Henin to go all the way to the final.

Today, in Indian Wells, however, it was a return to the previous order, as Peer defeated the 10th seed 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. A quick look at the stats is not helpful; if anything, they favor Bartoli. But tennis victory is determined by sets, not by games, and Bartoli's fans will have to wait a little while to see her again.