Ailing Bartoli battles into second round in Montreal

MONTREAL (AFP) - France's Marion Bartoli overcame a stomach virus to dispatch British qualifier Melanie South 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-0 here Monday and reach the second round of the 1.34 million-dollar WTA hardcourt tournament.

"I was not feeling good at all," Bartoli said. "My legs were shaking. My arms were shaking by themselves. I was really dizzy. I got cold.

"The doctor gave me some tablets to take. They helped a lot in the third set, but it took a while for me to feel a little better. But I needed to come up with the win, so whatever it took, I had to hang in tough."

Bartoli said players had been advised to take precautions to avoid spreading a virus that seems to be going around, including washing their hands often.

Bartoli, known mainly for her surprise showing in the championship match at Wimbledon last year, has struggled to build upon that success for most of this season.