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Bartoli takes Wimbledon women's title

Marion Bartoli holds the winners trophy after victory over Sabine Lisicki in the Women's Final of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships in London on July 6, 2013. Bartoli won 6-1 6-4. UPI/Hugo Philpott
1 of 2 | Marion Bartoli holds the winners trophy after victory over Sabine Lisicki in the Women's Final of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships in London on July 6, 2013. Bartoli won 6-1 6-4. UPI/Hugo Philpott | License Photo

LONDON, July 6 (UPI) -- Marion Bartoli collected her first Grand Slam title with a dominating win over Sabine Lisicki in the women's singles final Saturday at Wimbledon.

Bartoli, seeded 15th, dropped the match's opening game but was in command from there in a 6-1, 6-4 win over Lisicki, the No. 23 seed.

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It was the first major tournament championship for Bartoli, whose only other Grand Slam final appearance ended in a loss to Venus Williams at the 2007 Wimbledon Championships. She'd only advanced as far the semifinals in a major tournament once before this year's Wimbledon.

Overall Bartoli is 4-4 in WTA finals, with her last previous title coming in 2011.

Lisicki was a semifinalist at Wimbledon in 2011 but Saturday was her first Grand Slam final. She is 3-5 in title matches.

Bartoli, in perhaps a show of nerves, fed Lisicki's match-opening break with two double faults but then won more than three-quarters of the points on serve and 57 percent of the points off Lisicki's serve in controlling the first set.

Lisicki took a short break between sets and seemed to settle down, holding her serve for the first time Saturday to open the second set. But she failed on three break chances the next game and Bartoli recorded another break to the second-set lead.

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Lisicki appeared rattled after a double fault gave Bartoli another break chance. Bartoli didn't convert that one but two points later did for a 5-1 lead.

Lisicki saved three match points in her next service game and picked up her second break to stay alive. While she held to get to 5-4, Bartoli put the match away with a service game at love, punctuating the effort with a championship-ending ace.

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