Kirsten Flipkens Falls To Marion Bartoli In Wimbledon Semi-Finals

Kirsten Flipkens helped Marion Bartoli advance to her second Wimbledon final on Thursday after falling in straight 6-1, 6-2 sets.

Bartoli, the league’s 15th-seeded player, started both matches 3-0 and used her momentum to complete the match in just 62 minutes. Flipkens, currently ranked 20th, was playing in her first major semifinal match.

After the match, Bartoli said:

“I was hitting the ball very cleanly from the start, right away. I had some great passing shots and some great lobs. Everything was working so perfectly. To do that in the semifinals of Wimbledon was an amazing feeling.”

Bartoli’s last Wimbledon final occurred in 2007 when she lost to Venus Williams in straight sets. This time around she will face No. 23 Sabine Lisicki of Germany.

Both women are competing for their first Grand Slam title.

France’s Fed Cup coach Amelie Mauresmo, the 2006 Wimbledon champion, has plenty of praise for Marion Bartoli.

“She just played a great match, definitely the best match of the tournament for her. Marion put huge pressure on her right from the beginning, first of all returning very well, serving better, which she had to do today.”

Flipkens entered the semi-final court with her right knee taped, and, at the start of the second set, she called upon her trainer for a quick examination. Flipkens’ trainer then added tape to the knee, and she continued play.

After tape was applied to her knee, Flipkens broke for the first and only time in the set.

Speaking about her opponent’s play and wrapped knee, Bartoli said:

“I think maybe she was a bit injured today,. It must be hard for her to be injured in the semifinal of Wimbledon, but she deserved a lot of respect.”

With her win against Kirsten Flipken, Bartoli is now 2-1 in Grand Slam semifinals.

WIll you be cheering on Marion Bartoli or Sabine Lisicki in the Wimbledon 2013 finals?