#5 Marion Bartoli: Wimbledon Championship Match 2013
Marion Bartoli was a familiar face on the WTA Tour, having played in a remarkable 47 Grand Slam tournaments since her Grand Slam debut in 2001. Bartoli, a former finalist at SW-19, was best known for her unorthodox playing style which involved the two-handed forehand (a rarity in tennis), and an unusual service motion. She entered the 2013 Wimbledon Championships as the 15th seed, and quietly marched through the draw, if not tearing through it.
She did not face a single player ranked inside the top-10 en-route to her second Wimbledon final, and had a chance to win the title without having to do so. In the title clash, she faced Wimbledon’s darling, Sabine Lisicki , the other surprise finalist. Nicknamed “Boom Boom” on the tour, Lisicki had brought havoc in the draw having beaten tournament favourites Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska, and was one win away from her own fairytale ending.
However, Bartoli had different plans as the veteran won in a see-saw encounter, where emotions ran high for both players. Overwhelmed by her first (and last) major title, Bartoli announced her retirement from the sport soon thereafter, and bid her farewell at the opening of the same event next year.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"
