LONDON -- Ever since she was a kid, practicing until midnight with her father, Marion Bartoli went about playing tennis her own way. The two-handed strokes for backhands, forehands, even volleys. The hopping in place and practice swings between points, which help her focus. The unusual setup for serves -- no ball-bouncing, arms crossed, right wrist resting on her left thumb before the toss. Whatever works, right? This unique Wimbledon, appropriately enough, produced a unique champion in the ambidextrous Bartoli, the 15th-seeded Frenchwoman who won her first Grand Slam title by beating 23rd-seeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany 6-1, 6-4 Saturday in an error-filled, one-sided final that was far from a classic. "Its always been a part of my personality to be different. I think being just like the other one is kind of boring. I really embrace the fact of being a bit different and doing something that not everyone is," the 28-year-old Bartoli said. "I actually love that part of my game, being able to have something different." She certainly stands alone. This was Bartolis 47th Grand Slam tournament, the most ever played by a woman before earning a championship. She is the only woman in the 45-year Open era to win Wimbledon playing two-fisted shots off both wings (Monica Seles, Bartolis inspiration for that unusual style, collected her nine major titles elsewhere). Until Saturday, it had been more than 1 1/2 years since Bartoli won a tournament at any level. Until these last two weeks, Bartolis record in 2013 was 14-12, and she had failed to make it past the quarterfinals anywhere. Asked how to explain how she went from that sort of mediocre season to winning seven matches in a row at Wimbledon, never dropping a set, Bartoli briefly closed her eyes, then laughed heartily. "Well," Bartoli said, spreading her arms wide, "thats me!" Unlike Lisicki, a first-time major finalist who was admittedly overwhelmed by the occasion and teared up in the second set, Bartoli already had been on this stage, with the same stakes. Back in 2007, Bartoli won only five games during a two-set loss to Venus Williams in the Wimbledon final. "I know how it feels, Sabine," Bartoli said during the on-court trophy ceremony. "And Im sure, believe me, youll be there one more time. I have no doubt about it." Bartoli became the first woman in the Open era to win Wimbledon without facing anyone seeded in the top 10 -- her highest-rated opponent was No. 17 Sloane Stephens of the United States in the quarterfinals. Thats in part because of all of the injuries and surprises, including exits for No. 2 Victoria Azarenka, No. 3 Maria Sharapova, No. 5 Sara Errani, No. 7 Angelique Kerber, No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki and No. 10 Maria Kirilenko by the end of the second round. Lisicki, meanwhile, used her game built for grass -- fast serves, stinging returns, superb court coverage -- to end defending champion and top-seeded Serena Williams 34-match winning streak in the fourth round. Lisicki also eliminated past major champions Francesca Schiavone and Sam Stosur, along with No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, last years runner-up. But Lisicki was an entirely different player Sunday, rattled by every little thing, even the walk downstairs from the locker room to Centre Court and the final-afternoon ritual of players carrying bouquets of flowers when they enter the arena. "Everything is a little bit different. Youve been here for two weeks; the feeling, atmosphere, gets different," said Lisicki, who is based in Bradenton, Fla., and marked her rare winners Saturday with yells of "Yes!" or "Come on!" "I felt fine this morning, but its an occasion that you dont get every day," she said. "So its something completely new for me. But I will learn and take away so much from it." When play began under a sunny sky, it was Bartoli who looked jittery, double-faulting twice in a row to drop the opening game. Then it was Lisickis turn to serve, and she returned the favour, double-faulting on break point -- her last serve barely reaching the bottom of the net -- to make it 1-all. From there, Bartoli took over. She won 11 of the next 12 games, doing exactly what her father, a doctor who taught his daughter how to play, used to hope and imagine could happen in such an important match. Standing inside the baseline -- another sign of individuality -- Bartoli got back serves that topped 110 mph. She won the point on 9 of 11 trips to the net. She dictated the flow of baseline exchanges, thinking one or two moves ahead, the way one tries to do in chess, her fathers favourite pastime. "I was doing everything well," Bartoli said. "I was moving well. I was returning well. I mean, I really played a wonderful match." It was not exactly the greatest theatre or a "How To" guide for young players. Bartoli and Lisicki combined for more unforced errors, 39, than winners, 36. They finished with 11 doubles-faults and eight aces. When Lisicki double-faulted twice in one game while getting broken to trail 4-1 in the second set, she covered her face with her racket as her eyes welled. "I was a bit sad that I couldnt perform the way I can," Lisicki said. The sole portion of the match when she did look like someone who entered the day with a 19-4 career record at Wimbledon -- the afternoons lone, brief moment of intrigue and competitive tennis -- came with Lisicki on the precipice of defeat. Facing match points while serving at 15-40 with a scoreline of 6-1, 5-1 in Bartolis favour after only 67 minutes, Lisicki suddenly remembered how to play again. She hit a swinging backhand volley winner to erase one match point, then a 106 mph service winner to take of the next. Another followed shortly, and this time Bartoli put a backhand into the net. At deuce, Lisicki smacked a 115 mph service winner and a 114 mph ace to hold serve for the second time in seven tries. Bartoli, who said she danced to music in the locker room beforehand to stay loose, now was the one who was tight. With the crowd roaring after nearly every point, wanting more match for their money, Lisicki broke to 5-3, then held to 5-4. Lisicki put together third-set comebacks against Williams and Radwanska, but could she really dig herself out of this hefty deficit? No. Bartoli served out the match at love, using that one-of-a-kind serve to close with a 101 mph ace that hit a line and sent chalk dust spraying. "You cant describe that kind of feeling. You cannot put (into) any words what I feel in this moment," Bartoli said. "I cant believe I won Wimbledon this year. Well have to see the pictures, to see the match again on DVD, to ... realize it." So might everyone else. China Jerseys NFL . 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PHILADELPHIA -- Chad Kuhls fan club brought the noise.Andrew McCutchen hit two solo homers, Kuhl pitched six effective innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Philadelphia Phillies 15-2 Thursday night.Jordy Mercer hit a three-run homer and John Jaso and Sean Rodriguez also went deep to help the Pirates split a four-game series.Kuhl (4-3) allowed two runs and four hits, striking out five. He retired the first 12 batters before Tommy Joseph lined a double to right-center in the fifth.The righty grew up in nearby Delaware and more than 100 of his family, friends and acquaintances turned out to show their support. Many of them sat behind Pittsburghs dugout.It was loud, Kuhl said.Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was amused to see so much enthusiasm on the road.Now we know what it sounded like when Chad played Little League, Hurdle said. It was very entertaining. They were cheering every pitch. It was fun.Kuhl hid his emotions well.I was definitely amped up, seeing people I hadnt seen since I was maybe 12 years old, he said. I was nervous. I tried to block it out.Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff (10-14) gave up six runs -- three earned -- and five hits (four homers) in 6 2/3 innings.I feel like I let the guys down in here, he said. These guys are fighting. I have to live with that. Thats the most frustrating thing.Jaso led off the game with his sixth homer. McCutchen drove one out to center in the fourth. Rodriguez connected in the fifth to make it 3-0.Mercers shot increased the Pirates lead to 6-2 in the seventh. McCutchen hit his 23rd homer off Frank Herrmann in the eighth.ddddddddddddUSTING OUTThe Pirates had seven hits and eight runs in the ninth to put the game way out of reach.BARRYS NEXTMcCutchen has 174 career homers with the Pirates. He trails Barry Bonds by two for fourth place on Pittsburghs all-time home run list.MINOR SHAKEUPDusty Wathan, who led Double-A Reading to the best record in the Eastern League this season and a second consecutive Eastern Division championship, will manage Philadelphias Triple-A affiliate, Lehigh Valley, in 2017. Wathan replaces Dave Brundage.PROPER GOODBYEPhillies manager Pete Mackanin plans to start Ryan Howard all three games of the season-ending home series vs. the Mets on Sept. 30-Oct. 2. The 2006 NL MVP is the last player remaining from Philadelphias 2008 World Series championship team. The Phillies will exercise a $10 million buyout after the season ends, so Howard is down to his final games in red pinstripes.HEY A.J.Former Pirates and Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett drove from Maryland to Philadelphia to see two of his former teams. He watched the Pirates take batting practice on the field and chatted with many of his old teammates.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Ryan Vogelsong (3-5, 4.66 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series at Cincinnati. RHP Robert Stephenson (2-1, 4.43) goes for the Reds.Phillies: LHP Adam Morgan (2-10, 5.73) takes the mound in the start of a three-game series vs. Miami. RHP Tom Koehler (9-11, 3.97) pitches for the Marlins. ' ' '