The Last Word returns, and each weekday, starting on Monday, December 5, we'll give you our year-end thoughts about tennis' best players—this time focusing on the ATP and WTA Top 10. We'll alternate tours each day; here's who we've looked at so far.
Best of 2011
Bartoli had a great French Open, blasting her way to the semifinals of her “home” Slam, where her anxiety-prone French compatriots usually stink out the joint. But I’d still say her best moment came in Eastbourne, where Bartoli actually won the title—and beat Petra Kvitova, who would go on to win Wimbledon on the same grass surface, in the final.
Worst of 2011
Bartoli had two great Slams (Wimbledon and Roland Garros) and two poor ones, the worst being the Australian Open. On a surface friendly to her flat, two-fisted game, she lost in the second round to No. 146 Vesna Dolonts.
Year in Review
Sorry, I don’t have all day. One of the main reasons Bartoli cracked the Top 10 is because no woman in the Top 50 played as many tournaments (29) as she did. The numerous ups and downs tend to run together and blur, given that she won just two tournaments. But what really came through was her determination and competitive zeal. Bartoli wasn’t always good, but she was always dangerous—as evidenced by her second tournament win, which came very late in the year at Osaka.
See for Yourself
Bartoli hits with two hands off both wings and she loves to attack the serve. Check out her unorthodox but highly aggressive, opportunistic game in these highlights from Indian Wells, where she made the final with wins over, among others, former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, Yanina Wickmayer, and year-end No. 10 Andrea Petkovic.