Tennis: Bartoli advances at New Haven

NEW YORK: Fourth-seed Marion Bartoli began her final warm-up to the US Open in impressive style by blasting Australian qualifier Anastasia Rodionova 6-1, 6-4 in first round action at the New Haven Open. The 26-year-old Frenchwoman, one of four top 10 players taking part in the US Open tune-up, was forced to save three break points in the opening set but was never threatened in setting up a second- round meeting with Czech Klara Zakopalova. Fifth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska also cruised into the second round by pounding Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 6-1, 6-2.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2011.