Top seed Bartoli romps past Safina

French top seed Marion Bartoli dropped only one game in dumping former world number one Dinara Safina out of the Hobart International on Monday. Bartoli was in commanding form to put out the 2009 Australian Open runner-up, 6-0, 6-1 in one hour and 31 minutes in a night match.

“She (Safina) was a very tough opponent tonight. If you look at the rallies we played I think it was a really great match,” the world number 16 said. “Some days we are really tight and the result goes my way. The score could have much been much tougher and much tighter.

“I think the crowd really enjoyed match. Both of us put on a great show and it was a great atmosphere.”

Hobart International results

Women
1st round:

Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 6-2, 6-1

Jarmila Groth (AUS x6) bt Johanna Larsson (SWE) 6-1, 6-3

Tamira Paszek (AUT) bt Olivia Rogowska (AUS) 6-3, 6-1

Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL x3) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2

Olga Govortsova (BLR) bt Sally Peers (AUS) 6-4, 6-2

Alberta Brianti (ITA) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Alicia Molik (AUS) bt Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 7-5, 6-3

Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-3, 6-4

Klara Zakopalova (CZE x5) bt Melanie Oudin (USA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3)

Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x2) 6-2 (retired - leg injury)

Elena Baltacha (GBR) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 6-3, 6-3

Marion Bartoli (FRA x1) bt Dinara Safina (RUS) 6-0, 6-1

AFP