Up part of the night because of her sick daughter, Marion Bartoli intermittently followed the round of 16 loss in Melbourne by Caroline Garcia (7-6, 6-4 against the Polish Linette) from… Tarbes, where she coaches an Indian player at the Petits As tournament, the Under-14 World Cup.
The 2013 Wimbledon winner is watching the Australian Open with all the more attention as she is also the adviser to Jelena Ostapenko, who will face Rybakina on the night of Monday to Tuesday in the quarter-finals.
"I struggled to control my emotions and put my game together. I didn't really manage to break free, to go forward. Can't say it's a big surprise, I I also struggled to do that in my previous matches."
Caroline Garcia pic.twitter.com/EGIu1wii4d
— We Are Tennis France (@WeAreTennisFR) January 23, 2023
The former world No. 7 does not want to dramatize the failure of Garcia, who was already imagined to succeed him in a few days on the list of a Major after the carnage among the favorites.
And knows exactly where the Lyonnaise went.
“There is the pressure, the new status, the table which seems open after the eliminations of the top seeds, lists the former No. 1 tricolor.
I experienced it in 2013. It's so difficult to manage.
I was lucky to get there because I had already made a Grand Slam final before
(Editor's note: lost at Wimbledon in 2007 against Venus Williams)
and I already knew the way to winning six games.
Not seven, but six is already huge
(Editor's note: Garcia stopped at five with her US Open semi-final last summer)
.
But I am sure that Caro will have other chances and in the current level of world tennis, she is very easily among the top five.
So there are bound to be other opportunities.
»
Since the start of the competition, Garcia did not seem on his plate.
Like her sluggish victory against the German Siegemund in the previous round.
As if crushed by his own expectations, necessarily very high.
“The girl in front also makes her match.
It is enough to miss an opportunity, it thinks, it gamberges, continues Bartoli.
The other relaxes, has nothing to lose.
Even for Novak Djokovic, a Grand Slam is not a long calm river.
It's an apprenticeship for Caro to digest his new status.
But when you have the qualities to win big tournaments like the Masters, it means that there are only a few percent left and I'm sure it will pass eventually.
»
For eternity!!!
#wimbledon @Wimbledon @FreyaRidings https://t.co/3ZOP0Hr6mh
— MARION BARTOLI (@bartoli_marion) January 16, 2023
As long as you don't get overwhelmed by what's at stake.
“She knows it, everyone will be waiting for her at the turn this year, it's obvious, breathes Bartoli.
But I think she is well surrounded, it's also good that she took Julien
(Editor's note: Benneteau, Fed Cup captain)
as a sparring partner.
He too knows these tense matches.
The more she surrounds herself with people who have known the mechanics of the circuit for a very long time, the better she will manage to relativize, desacralize and play her matches.
I repeat, she has plenty of tennis to win a Grand Slam.
She will still be able to have open tables and she will get there…”