Twenty-eight-year-old Marion Bartoli made a tough decision to break free from her father Walter's 22-year-long tennis guidance, and despite talks that Amelie Mauresmo would be her new coach, Jana Novotna was hired ahead of Indian Wells and will work with the world No.11 full time. After reaching the Indian Wells quarterfinals with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova, Bartoli ran to Novotna for a hug. Bartoli's next opponent is sixth seed Sara Errani.

Bartoli met Novotna, who happens to share her birthday of October 2nd, in Doha and is happy to be coached by a woman, believing that a woman champion can understand her best. The 44-year-old Novotna won one Grand Slam in singles in her career and it was at Wimbledon, where Bartoli played her sole Grand Slam final in 2007. (source: Tennis.com, photo via MungoNGus)

Jelena Jankovic debuted a so called Fila Heritage Carwash dress this week at Indian Wells, where she lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round, despite bageling the Russian in the first set. Final score was 0-6 6-2 7-5.

The highlight of the dress is what looks like a pleated bottom but is actually a bunch of straps that sway and bounce as you play. Jelena wore a blue version of the dress and over it a new Heritage sweater. The dress also comes in white and costs $90, while the sweater is $80.

Kuznetsova, who switched from wearing Fila to Qiaodan in the beginning of this year, had a slight wardrobe issue during the encounter and had to take off her tight leggings in order to be able to move more freely. (source: Tennis Identity)

For the sixth year in a row, Women's Tennis Blog is using the relaxed off-season period to review the on-court styles of our top players and brands. Of course, who else will kick off the series than our fashion darling Maria Sharapova. Let's see what the Russian wore in the year that saw her complete a Career Slam and win the Olympic silver.

In 2012, the Nike-clad Sharapova continued her subdued sporty femininity. Glamour, layers, frills and popping details have not described the Russian's tennis style since last year. Of course, Masha is still the most glamorous WTA player, but on court that glamour is toned down now, fitting the simple, everyday wearable category. There still are details in her designs, but you have to look deeper to find them.

White with electric green accents was Sharapova's color combination for the Australian sun and it transcended to the indoor hardcourt of Coubertin Stadium in Paris.

At Indian Wells, the 25-year-old wore a blue dress with light blue scales on the sides and in the back, matching the color of the straps.

*Visit the full list of retrospections of WTA players' yearly outfits*

Very ordinary red tanks followed for four tournaments, paired with simple white and black skirts. Read more »

World No.1 Victoria Azarenka powered to her fourth title of the season, extending her perfect 2012 win-loss record to 23-0, with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Maria Sharapova in the final of Indian Wells. Azarenka is now 5-3 against Sharapova, and four of those five victories came in finals, all in straight sets, while the last was the 2012 Australian Open final which Azarenka won 6-3 6-0.

In today's title match, Sharapova won only three service games and made 37 unforced errors to Azarenka's 14. The match was Azarenka's from start to finish, except for Sharapova's brief interruptions of Azarenka's streak in the middle of the second set, when Sharapova made two breaks.

The most difficult match of Azarenka's run to the Indian Wells title was her opener against Mona Barthel, a three-setter with two tiebreaks. In the third round Azarenka ousted Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1 6-2, then she beat Julia Goerges 6-3 6-1 in the fourth round, crushed Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals 6-0 6-2, and Angelique Kerber 6-4 6-3 in the semis.

Editor's update: My appologies for no updates on the semifinals, I was struck by some virus, and wasn't able to write. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

World No.1 Victoria Azarenka is on a huge roll this year, but will the soon-to-be Top 15 player Angelique Kerber be able to stop her in their first ever encounter? Our guest poster Omair is looking into the matter.

The first Indian Wells semifinal pits Victoria Azarenka, the shrieka and the streaka, against fast-rising German, Angelique Kerber, who has shown that she has the nerves of iron after her first two matches at Indian Wells and who holds the third most match wins this season, after Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska.

Azarenka is 21-0 so far this year, while Kerber is 19-4 this year. The pair has never met before, both had straight sets wins over their opponents in the quarterfinal matches. Let's have a look at their path to the semifinal.

Azarenka nearly lost her opener against Mona Barthel, but since then has not lost more than three games in a set, and has only lost her serve four times in her previous three matches. Azarenka has matched her previous best showing here at Indian Wells – 2009 when she lost in the semis to Vera Zvonareva, who went on to win the title.

Was Kerber's road to the semis full of roses or full of thorns? Read more »