Update 7:50 pm. A campaign that began gloomily suddenly has a very sunny outlook for former Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli.
The French fourth seed was all smiles after becoming the first woman through to the Brisbane International semifinals on Thursday.
The world No.16 at one stage won eight straight games as she cruised to a 6-2 6-1 win over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova at Pat Rafter Arena.
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Bartoli, 26, was so happy she was bold enough to compare her run with the form that carried her into the 2009 Australian Open quarterfinals.
But the omens weren’t so good not so long ago.
Copying the preparation that led to fellow Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo’s 2006 Australian Open triumph, Bartoli arrived Down Under weeks ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam – only to be met by grey skies.
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Torrential rain has never been far away from her Gold Coast base since, but it has hardly dampened Bartoli’s spirits.
She is now the highest women’s seed left standing at the Brisbane International.
“It’s still a very long way to think about winning the Australian Open but when I played well in 2009 here [making the Brisbane final] I played well also at the Australian Open,” Bartoli said.
“So it’s very important for me to play well and keep it going for the Aussie Open.
“I’ve had three great matches already, so it’s looking great.”
The Gold Coast may not have lived up to its name during Bartoli’s stint on the tourist strip, but the 26-year-old believed experience in the wet had helped her on Thursday.
As a result, Bartoli lit up the gloomy surrounds at a rain-soaked Pat Rafter Arena.
Bartoli said the balls became “heavy” due to the humidity, similar to what she had to combat on the Gold Coast.
“I worked really hard during the off-season, spent some time here during the rainy days on the Gold Coast and I think it helped me to get through today as well,” she said.
“I think it feels like this because of the rain outside, the moisture gets into the ball.
“[So] it was good to come here two weeks before and get all that rain … I was used to it.”
Bartoli believed she was finally back to career-best fitness after paying the price for her stunning 2007 Wimbledon final appearance.
“I had mono [glandular fever] for six months [in 2008] so it was really hard – it really took [a toll] on my body.
“[But] I worked a lot in the off-season to be physically fit and quicker than I used to be.”
Bartoli will play the winner of the late Thursday night clash between Jarmila Groth and Andrea Petkovic in the semifinals on Friday.
Czech Petra Kvitova disposed of Dominka Cibulkova 6-0 6-4 and will meet Russian fifth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the other semifinal.
Pavlyuchenkova was forced to work for two hours and 45 minutes by Czech Lucie Safarova after wasting a seemingly unassailable 6-2 5-1 lead before finally progressing with a 6-2 6-7(4) 6-3 victory.
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