Bartoli hops her way into French semifinals

Associated Press

PARIS

Hopping around between points to psych herself up. Swinging away at nothing but air while awaiting an opponent’s serve. Screaming with abandon at almost any time during a match.

That’s Marion Bartoli out on court.

The 11th-seed is known for her eccentricities while playing, but they all seem to be paying off at this year’s French Open — right into the semifinals, where Bartoli finds herself after beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6 (4), 6-4 Tuesday.

“It’s really to stay focused on what I have to do,” Bartoli said in explaining her quirks. “It’s really important for me to relieve the pressure ... and really focus on myself and what I need to do.”

She is only the fourth Frenchwoman to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros in the Open era, which began in 1968.

Bartoli, who next faces defending champion Francesca Schiavone, is considered a maverick in France. With her father as coach, she has clashed with the French Tennis Federation and Fed Cup captain Nicolas Escude.

But she has also already reached one Grand Slam final, at Wimbledon in 2007, when she lost to Venus Williams. Now Bartoli finds herself in a major semifinal for the second time.

“Even if I played the final of Wimbledon, I never felt that excited,” Bartoli said, describing her emotions as victory neared against Kuznetsova. “When she missed that forehand, then I was just like, ‘My God, I’m in the semifinal of my home Grand Slam.”’

Today, Australian Open runner-up Li Na and No. 4 Victoria Azarenka will play for another semifinal spot, as will three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova and No. 15 Andrea Petkovic.

Roger Federer is also back in the semifinals.

There will be absolutely nothing low-key — or, it seems safe to say, easy — about what comes next for the 16-time Grand Slam champion: a showdown against Novak Djokovic, who is 41-0 this year and unbeaten in his last 43 matches overall.

With attention focused elsewhere, perhaps in part because some assume his best days are behind him, the no-fuss, no-muss Federer simply has won all 15 sets he’s played so far, capped Tuesday by a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3) quarterfinal victory over No. 9-seeded Gael Monfils of France.

“For me, the plan is trying to get a step further and into the finals of the French Open,” said Federer, who won the 2009 title at Roland Garros to complete a career Grand Slam but lost in the quarterfinals a year ago. “At the end of the day, that’s, for me, the big picture, and that’s why I entered the French Open. It wasn’t to stop Novak.”

Nevertheless, their semifinal is sure to be the talk of the tennis world until it’s played Friday.

For Djokovic — who didn’t need to exert himself Tuesday, because his quarterfinal opponent, Fabio Fognini, withdrew Monday.