Actually, the real question is, where has she been all this time? Like a storm she blew all kinds of balls by Justine Henin in the semis. If she can play like that, why isn't she higher in the rankings?

I've known of Bartoli for a few years. It always stroke me that she didn't have the slim body structure of a typical top female athlete like, say, Daniela Hantuchova or Venus Williams.

Her physical appearance made me think that she would always be a top-50 player but would stay there. I suppose I forgot that players like Capriatti also have Bartoli's body shape and still manage to win grand slams.

Maybe her appearance also made the media overlook her. After she beat Jelena Jankovic in the third round, I was hoping to see more coverage on Bartoli's matches. I wanted to know exactly what it was that she was doing right. But I would be denied. Both ESPN and NBC completely forgot about Marion, taking it for granted that she will be taken out by Henin in the semis.

The French woman, it seems, is not the kind of person who needs to be on the media's spotlight. She comes accross as a simple girl who is comfortable in her own skin. Or at least it looked that way right after the last point of today's match against Henin. Bartoli looked highly professional.  Given that she was  a long shot to make it to the finals, I expected her to celebrate more enthusiastically after winning. But instead, she kept her cool giving Justine the respect she deserves.

She was also candid during her after-match interview. I  found it cute when she attributed her win to Pierce Brosnan being there. Maybe she is used to outside stimuli, since, reportedly, her dad bribed her with candy when she was a kid, giving her treats for accurate shots.

In a few hours, Bartoli is going to play Venus Williams. By the time anyone reads this, the match will be over. But I have to say, if she plays as well as against Henin, I wouldn't be shocked if she beats Venus.

But she may have a problem with Williams in that the African American superstar feeds from pace. That is, she thrives against heavy hitters. Perhaps because she is used to playing against Serena in practice.

Whether Bartoli wins or loses in the final, she is got a new fan in me. From now on, I'll be cheering for her, hoping that she is able to repeat her dream run of Wimbledon 2007.