Tennis: Bartoli knew her time would come

French player Marion Bartoli credited an intensive off-season fitness programme for her Classic win. Picture / Richard Robinson

The rankings and seedings installed Marion Bartoli as the favourite against Vera Zvonareva in the international women's final.

Form through the first four rounds of the ASB Classic suggested something different.

But in the end, sixth seed Bartoli made the final her own, joining a growing list of pocket rockets to win here.

The 21-year-old Geneva-based Frenchwoman turned in the standout display of the tournament to swamp Zvonareva in 1h 35m.

The pair - born just 25 days apart in Moscow and Le Puy en Velay in 1984 - gave it their all but with Bartoli always just that much better. She took the ball early and with immaculate ground strokes, often clearing the net by mere millimetres, she ran Zvonareva ragged.

The Russian baseliner had no answer to Bartoli's meticulous game.

The first chink in Zvonareva's armour came as early as the third game when, after holding two game points, she dropped four in a row and the game to trail 1-2.

That was all Bartoli needed. In breaking Zvonareva to love in the seventh game, the first set was a formality.

It was no easier in the second when Zvonareva dropped a drawn-out first game and repeated that in the fifth for 1-4.

While not the biggest server in the women's game, Bartoli was nevertheless ultra-consistent. No aces but, more importantly, no doubles faults. A healthy 70-plus first-serve percentage gave the Russian nothing.

Only when she held three match points on Zvonareva's serve at 1-5 (she then lost five straight points) and with the same situation on serve in the next game, did Bartoli falter.

In the end, she regained her poise and confidence and served out before raising her arms in deserved triumph to celebrate a first WTA title - in her first final - and a first win over her Russian opponent, who had easily won their previous three encounters.

In congratulating Bartoli before the on-court presentation, Zvonareva said: "I'm sorry I wasn't able to show my best tennis today." She was not allowed to. But, Zvonareva added, "it is a really good reason to come back next year. You are the best crowd I've had [supporting me] in a while."

Zvonareva was not alone in pledging her ongoing support to the tournament.

Almost to a player, there is a real desire to return.

Tournament director Richard Palmer, who plays a big hand in that, is already facing an embarrassment of riches 51 weeks before the first ball of the 2007 tournament is hit.

But this day belonged to Bartoli.

"It feels awesome," was her predictable reaction. "When I came here from Geneva my thinking was, 'Oh my gosh, all those Russians', but finally I won. I'm really proud, even if when I held those six championship points and I was a little bit shaking. I would like to thank you guys [the crowd] for helping me."

And, the inevitable, "I will come back every year."

Later, refreshed and with time to reflect, Bartoli said: "I think I played really good tennis. She is a baseliner who does not make mistakes, but I was winning points. My level of game surprised her. Most of the time I was inside the court."

Bartoli pinpointed the fitness work she had done in the European winter as a factor. "In the past when I reached the semifinals I was too tired."

Asked whether, in light of reaching six WTA semifinals but going no further, she doubted her ability to ever win, she replied positively. "No."

"I knew my time would come."

Of that, there was no doubt when she hit the court running and never flagged.

Zvonareva did not go home empty-handed, however.

She and Russian partner Elena Likhovtseva, 30, needed less than 90 minutes to see off fourth seeds Emilie Loit (France) and Czech Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-4 in the doubles final.

It was their second WTA title together and a fitting parting gift for Likhovtseva in her fourth and probably last Auckland appearance - her 25th WTA doubles crown in 51 finals.