By: Matt DeCorso

Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the previous article I wrote. Harkleroad did win so that's good!

I am now previewing Marion Bartoli.

Anabel Medina Garrigues versus Marion Bartoli

This match is taking place in Auckland and may surprise the crowd  with a thriller! I personally love the Rebound Ace court and Bartoli and Anabel thrive in it.

Marion Bartoli is a young 19 year old Frenchwoman with a stunning double fisted combo that can get to a lot of top players. Just ask Lindsay Davenport. She is very young and had a very good year last year. She did amazingly well in doubles with Stephanie Cohen-Aloro and Myriam Casanova in

the latter part of the year. She also reached the quarterfinals in the Tier 1 event in Miami with a win over Lindsay Davenport. She fell to Serena Williams, the then number 1, but she received praise from Serena and her fans. In this match look for the tenacity of Marion's backhand. It's INCREDIBLE. She produces so much power in her shots and her forehand is like her wildcard because it can be on or it can be committing a lot of unforced errors. In this match look for Bartoli to nail backhands and try and move in if she hits a deep shot. She also had a great serve last year so if she worked on it this off season it wil be even more effective.

Weakness: Restricted movement. As I mentioned in an article last year, the two hands off both sides really makes her run more than she should. If she dropped the two hands sometimes and developed a good single hand shot, she'd be great. It's also pivotal to have a solid defensive slice to get yourself out of jams.

Ana Isabela Medina Garrigues is one heck of a long last name but she has one heck of a game. In 2002 she inhaled the Rebound Ace court in Melbourne for 3 rounds until she ran into Monica Seles and an injury. That injury cost her a whole year and then some. Anabel was/is a very promising young Spaniard who could have challenged the upper echleon of the pros. Unfortunately she didn't get that opportunity. In this match look for the trademark of a Spaniard. Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario moved like a bee around the court as does Ferrero, Moya and Martinez. Anabel doesn't lack that quality in the slightest. She has a great forehand that deceives people. She doesn't look like a player who could whip huge forehand winners but if she wants to she can. She also has a great drop shot as do most of her "armada".

Weakness: Lack of play. I am concerned that Anabel hasn't played as many WTA matches because of her injury. She may have played challengers but it's a whole different ball game.

Who has the Edge?

Serve- Bartoli

Groundies- That's difficult but I'm narrowly giving it to Marion

Movement- Medina Garrigues

Intangibles- Bartoli....top player who's expected to win.

Volley- Anabel because she is a great doubles player with a crisp volley.

This match could be very interesting if Bartoli takes her foot off the gas peddle. Bartoli's onslaught of winners could be countered by the Spanish defense but if the shield cracks, the whole tower is going to crash down. For Marion, just play the way you know how and focus on putting the ball in play and cutting down unforced errors. For Anabel, you are the underdog so make use of that status and play freely without pressure. Don't stay defensive for the whole match or you'll never win. Take your chances when you get them and most importantly, SEE THE BALL!

Matt's Pick: My heart is telling me to go with Bartoli easily but I have to trust my gut and go with Bartoli in three, 6-2 3-6 6-4.

Thank you!