By TERRY MADDAFORD
It took almost 4h 15m to complete, but 19-year-old Marion Bartoli was eventually the first to book a quarter-final spot at the international women's classic yesterday with a surprisingly easy straight-sets win over Cara Black.
In one of those frustrating on-again, off-again rain-interrupted days, the ASB Classic stuttered along with players struggling to find their rhythm as they trooped in and out of the locker room.
Anxious organisers were relieved play was possible and eventually went beyond the one-hour mark needed to prevent having to refund gate money.
An early decision was taken, however, to postpone four scheduled doubles matches.
Not much later, singles matches involving young New Zealander Eden Marama and her second-round German opponent Anca Barna, and the clash between second-seed Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi and American Ashley Harkleroad were also canned and will be played, weather permitting, this morning.
After waiting nearly 3 1/2 hours to get on court, Bartoli quickly hit her stride in her first meeting with the 24-year-old Zimbabwean.
She broke Black in the first game, held easily, then broke Black to love on her way to a 6-1 first-set win in 30 minutes.
One of the rising stars - she was ranked 106 a year ago and started this tournament at 58 (after reaching a career-high 45 last August) - Bartoli has an impressive, aggressive game built around her double-handed back and forehand.
After a delay the pair resumed, but for Black it was more of the same after they traded service breaks at the start of the second before Bartoli took control to again win 6-1.
Shrugging off the inconvenience of the delays, Bartoli could not have been more impressive.
"I trained hard and I'm very happy to begin the year well," she said. "In this match I played deep as I know her as a good doubles player."
Bartoli took points from Black either with well-executed passing shots or with lobs as her smaller opponent advanced to the net.
She will now play Shenay Perry.
Top-seed Paola Suarez, after waiting until almost 7pm for a match which would normally have been on court almost seven hours earlier, wasted no time in booking her quarter-final spot.
In another first-time meeting, she beat Lindsay Lee-Waters, one of three players to get a place at the ASB Tennis Centre by winning a "feed-in" tournament, 6-1, 6-3 in just 50 minutes. Her all-round game was too good for Lee-Waters, who caused a minor first-round upset by beating Italian Rita Grande in three sets.
In a three-set struggle on an outer court before darkness closed in, Perry (US) reversed the result of her only other clash with Tathiana Garbin (Italy) in winning 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.
Another match which took all day and finished under lights, was an epic, with Kristina Brandi beating Amy Frazier in three sets on her third match point.
Frazier, who won the first set 6-2, had two match points in the second set and seven in the third, but failed to convert any in a match which finished with a couple of controversial line calls which went against Frazier.
Brandi, who won second and third set tiebreakers, now faces Suarez in the quarter-finals.
A number of players face the prospect of playing twice today as organisers strive to get the tournament back on course.
In a match rained off at 8.45pm, defending champion Eleni Daniilidou and Emmanuelle Gagliardi were locked at 5-5 in the first set.
Related links
Tennis: Bartoli battles rain delays for marathon straight-sets win
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