Marion Bartoli dons maiden Wimbledon crown as rival is reduced to tears
Crippling stage fright condemns Lisicki to defeat at the hands of power-serving Frenchwoman
One of the strangest Wimbledons yet produced one of its quirkiest champions - Marion Bartoli - winner of a hard-to-watch final that had the overwhelmed runner-up in near tears while the match was still going on.
France's Bartoli, whose power game bothered Sabine Lisicki as much as any of her notable eccentricities, won 6-1, 6-4 yesterday to capture her first grand slam title in her 47th appearance at a major.
"Honestly, I just can't believe it. As a little girl, I dreamt of this moment for so long," Bartoli said.
"Finishing with an ace to win Wimbledon, even in my wildest dreams I couldn't have imagined that. I'm just so happy to be holding this trophy."
She addressed Lisicki, who was shaking and in tears.
"I was there in 2007 and I missed it," said Bartoli, the runner-up to Venus Williams that year. "I know how it feels, Sabine, and I'm sure you will be there one more time. I have no doubt about it."