Years Trump Tears As Bartoli Wins Wimbledon

The power was supposed to be on the other side of the net.

After all, it was Sabine Lisicki who had become the second German in tennis history to earn the nickname of Boom Boom.

Boris Becker was deserving as the first, exemplified by his taking all comers at the All England Club by storm as a teenager in attendance for the first time. He'd spoken with Lisicki as part of her match preparations, but words of wisdom can only carry an athlete so far.

Marion Bartoli had a few more years of wisdom in her résumé, and it showed. The Frenchwoman had been to a Wimbledon final before -- losing to Venus Williams in 2007 -- and the resolve gained from that experience surely played a part in her recovery from a pair of double-faults costing her the match's first game by reeling off 11 wins in the next 12.

This string of success literally moved Lisicki to tears, and Bartoli kept the pressure up to record a 6-1, 6-4 victory that took only 1:21 to settle.

Both players were instrumental in making #Wimbleweird a trend on Twitter. The emotional Lisicki was ultimately unable to keep her feelings in check, which belied her 115mph service that conquered Serena Williams, among other, in her charge to the final. She's one of the biggest hitters on the women's tour and used all that comes with it to rise from the 23rd seed to meet Bartoli at Centre Court.

A 15th seed herself, Bartoli looked much more in form than that. She cruised through the bracket without losing a set. Being described as 'quirky' so often she could almost have a right to trademark the word, Bartoli's penchant for serving without pre-windup bounces and returning imaginary volleys between bouts has earned her that adjective if only for on-court antics such as those. However, she's also claimed to have an IQ higher than Einstein and has had no problem in the past about putting her father on Front Street.

Most impressively, it was Bartoli's command of her thundering forehand that overwhelmed Lisicki and a laser-sharp ace that secured match point. Boom Boom Bina had been hoisted on her own tear-swelled petard.

So, at 28, Bartoli becomes the belle of the ball at Wimbledon's traditional post-tournament fête. She has only to await her dance partner.

And as impressive as her achievement was today, the entire isle has remained focused on awaiting that news themselves.