Bartoli Wimbledon boost with first grasscourt title

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Marion Bartoli of France won the first grasscourt title of her career on Saturday, defeating Czech Petra Kvitova 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in the Eastbourne final, having played two matches in one day.

Bartoli now heads into Wimbledon, which starts on Monday, with supreme confidence after earning victory in blowy conditions and the threat of rain in two hours, 19 minutes.

The world number nine, who was the Wimbledon runner-up in 2007, losing to Serena Williams, saved seven of 10 break points while breaking Kvitova on five occasions.

Her title triumph came only hours after Bartoli had played a rain-delayed semi-final held over from Friday, thrashing Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-1.

"It's great to come up with a win, but it was a huge challenge again today," said Bartoli.

"I was not used to playing matches on the same day. It was an entertaining final. Petra was hitting the ball very hard and very deep, so she had all the credit for coming back. Then at the end it was just fighting and trying to find a way to win."

Bartoli needed to struggle for her final victory, sweeping the last five games of the opening set, but losing a lead in the second and missing a chance to serve it out on her first opportunity while leading 5-4 in the third.

But the persistent sixth seed broke the Czech in the next game and claimed the win one game on off the the first of two match points.

She had also defeated Kvitova in their only other meeting in 2008 indoors.

"Now I have to be focused on Wimbledon," said Kvitova. "I'm happy that I played many matches here, and it was a lot of practise for Wimbledon."

Kvitova won her semi-final earlier in the day when Slovak opponent Daniela Hantuchova retired with an abdominal injury, trailing 7-6 (11/9), 4-2 after 90 minutes.

"It's not great, That's for sure," said the Slovak who lost the Birmingham final on Monday to Germany's Sabine Lisicki.

"It happened at 3-0 in the first set. I was running for a wide backhand and felt a sharp pain and just was getting worse and worse from then.

"I have to hope for some magic and get as much treatment as I can. As soon as I get to Wimbledon I will try to work with the physios and try to do something to be able to be ready for Monday."

Hantuchova had knocked out Venus Williams in the quarter-finals.

Bartoli lifted the sixth title of her career after losing finals this season at Indian Wells to world number one Caroline Wozniacki and at Strasbourg on clay to German Andrea Petkovic.

Kvitova's beaten opponent Stosur heads to Wimbledon as tenth seed with a good feeling.

"This has been good preparation, a really good week. In spite of the match today I'm going to into Wimbledon feeling good. I played some really good tennis here and got through some really good matches."

The Wimbledon tune-up event was washed out by rain on Friday and still needs to complete the men's final between Serb third seed Janko Tipsarevic and Italy's Andreas Seppi to wrap up on time.