Bartoli stays in Paris hunt
Last Frenchwoman standing after Parmentier defeat
Last Updated: February 9, 2012 10:18pm
Marion Bartoli: Frenchwoman claimed straight-sets win against Petra Martic
Home favourite Marion Bartoli overcame a slow start to reach the quarter-finals of the Open GDF Suez in Paris with a 7-5 6-1 success over Croatia's Petra Martic.
Breaks were exchanged three times in the first eight games before Bartoli broke yet again for a 6-5 lead and then served out for the opening set.
The Frenchwoman, who had committed six double faults to that point, took control thereafter as Martic's challenge fizzled out.
"My serve cost me in the first set," Bartoli said. "Either I was making double faults or I was serving too softly.
"She's a girl who returns very well and who hits the ball hard. She troubled me right away. Fortunately, I managed to break her otherwise I could have lost that first set."
Exhausted
Martic saved 16 break points but her form dropped in the second set.
"The rallies exhausted her a bit," Bartoli added. "I felt great physically therefore I got the upper hand in the second set."
Italian Roberta Vinci awaits for Bartoli in the last eight after the seventh seed beat American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3 1-6 6-3.
Bartoli is the last French player left in the draw after Pauline Parmentier lost 6-3 6-0 to 21-year-old German qualifier Mona Barthel.
Also on Thursday, German ninth seed Angelique Kerber set up a last-eight encounter with top seed Maria Sharapova by beating Romania's Monica Niculescu 6-3 4-6 6-3.
And unseeded Belgian Yanina Wickmayer saw off American Christina McHale 6-2 7-5.
