Bartoli to face Kvitova in Eastbourne final

London: Fifth seed Petra Kvitova will face sixth-seeded Marion Bartoli in the final of the Wimbledon warm-up grasscourt championships in Eastbourne after both had relatively easy semi-final wins on Saturday.

Both matches were delayed after rain washed out play on Friday, and the final is due to be played later on Saturday. Bartoli, who is seeded ninth at Wimbledon next week, beat seventh-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur 6-3 6-1 with the 21-year-old Frenchwoman always in control in the blustery conditions on England`s south coast.Left-handed Czech Kvitova, seeded eight at Wimbledon, led the in-form Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 7-6 (9-7) before the match was halted in the second set, which she was leading 4-2, when Hantuchova retired with an abdominal strain.Kvitova is seeking her fourth WTA title of the year. Bureau Report