The Frenchwoman, 33, quit the sport in August 2013 citing persistent injury problems, less than six weeks after winning her only Grand Slam title.

“It’s going to be a huge challenge,” said Bartoli, who will make her comeback at the 2018 Miami Open beginning on 19 March.

“I still have a lot of practice ahead.”

Speaking on Instagram, she added: “I’m really looking forward to being on the court again, especially in Paris at Roland Garros in my home country, but also for the Fed Cup and Wimbledon.”

Bartoli has won eight WTA titles and reached a career-high world ranking of seventh in 2012. She was also Wimbledon runner-up in 2007.

She won her first Grand Slam at the 47th attempt – the longest wait in women’s tennis – by beating Germany’s Sabine Lisicki 6-1 6-4 in the final.

In 2016, she revealed she had “feared for her life” after contracting an unknown virus that caused dramatic weight loss.

–

Source: BBC

The post Former Wimbledon champion to return to WTA Tour appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The American made her Wimbledon debut just three years after that and has been an adornment ever since – and a five-time champion at her favourite tournament.

She beat Britain’s best – and first semi-finalist since Virginia Wade in 1978 – 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and a quarter in front of a Centre Court audience who had earlier been left short-changed in the first semi-final, when Garbiñe Muguruza beat the inexperienced world No87 Magdalena Rygarikova 6-1, 6-1 in just 65 minutes.

Williams ignored the attentions of a friendly bee to begin with an easy hold; and, while it took Konta a few solid strikes to calm the nerves running through her racket, she quickly calculated the best way to test the 37-year-old American was wide and deep across the baseline.

No active player can match Williams’s 20 Wimbledon appearances. This was her 101st singles match at the All England Club, her 10th semi-final – where she has won five times – and Konta’s 12th and her first semi-final.

Those numbers represent a yawning gap in experience and achievement, which the sixth seed set about narrowing with her uncomplicated but increasingly potent game: hitting hard and flat behind a solid serve, and trusting legs that are 13 years younger than her opponent’s.

Three aces to hold in the sixth game gave Konta not only parity on the scoreboard but confirmation that she could beat Williams with pace and placement. The American was simply not moving for those well-struck balls 10 feet and more away from her. The trick for Konta was to keep picking her spots.

There was the small matter of the ball coming the other way and, when she lined up her groundstrokes, Williams was lethal. However, the worn court was tough to read some times on day 10, and she some times struggled to get low enough to cope with the uneven bounce.

While blessed with better movement and a bigger serve, Konta did not bring as much variety, but she figured what was good enough to beat Donna Vekic and Simona Halep in two thrilling three-setters ought to do the job against Williams.

Williams saved a break point for 5-4, paying no heed to the applause that greeted her double fault and a butchered drive volley. There could be no questioning the strength of commiseration for the British player, though, who lost her way serving to stay in the set, hitting her final backhand long.

There had been little in the first frame, but Konta need to rediscover her early rhythm. Williams, meanwhile, was determined to keep the points short, robbing her opponent of rally time.

A cruel clip of the net and a double fault in the fourth game tipped Konta into a mini-crisis, but she rescued one of three break points with a delightful stop volley, and scraped a forehand into empty space for 30-40. But, off balance, she dumped a forehand and Williams was three games away from her ninth Wimbledon final.

Konta badly needed a stretch of points to get back in the fight, but she struggled to find the consistency of her earlier performances. Just before the hour, she was a set and 1-4 down with ball in hand. To get to the semi-finals, she had spent an average of two hours and four minutes on court, and now it looked like it might be over in half that time.

The low bounce was discomforting her as Williams continued to hit with more certainty, but Konta held nervously in the sixth game.

There was still hope, but not much. Konta saved two match points before handing Williams a third opportunity with her seventh double fault, and the American rifled him a forehand winner past Konta at the net.

–

Source: Guardian

The post Venus Williams into Wimbledon final with smooth defeat of Konta appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Muguruza, 23, won 6-1 6-1 in just 64 minutes on Centre Court to advance to her second Wimbledon final.

The 2016 French Open champion will try to win her second major title in Saturday’s final.

Konta hopes to become Britain’s first women’s singles finalist since 1977.

The Briton, seeded sixth, is up against a Wimbledon legend in Williams, seeking her first Grand Slam title for nine years at the age of 37.

Muguruza strode onto Centre Court with heavy strapping on her left thigh, but appeared anything but restricted as she reeled off the first five games in 25 minutes.

Rybarikova, ranked 87th, went into the match with an 18-1 record on grass this season but the 28-year-old appeared nervous in her first Grand Slam semi-final.

A sympathetic round of applause greeted her first game at 5-1 down.

Rybarikova won just 10 points on serve in the entire set as Muguruza attacked off the return and was confident enough to dominate from the net.

When Muguruza crushed a backhand winner off a 79mph second serve to lead 3-0 with a double break in the second set, Rybarikova was reeling.

There was more appreciation from the crowd when Rybarikova held on in a long service game to get on the scoreboard for just a second time, but Muruguza was in a ruthless mood and confidently served out the match.

“I think I played very well, for sure,” said the Spaniard.

“It was a tricky match, she is a very talented player. She was playing very good during the tournament and I think today I stepped up on the court super-confident, and everything went well.”

–

Source: BBC Sport

The post Garbine Muguruza beats Rybarikova to reach Wimbledon final appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.