Alizé Cornet never hesitates to go to the front – and that’s why we like him. The French player took the defense on Monday of the Japanese Aldila Sutjiadi-Miyu Kato, disqualified the day before during the round of 16 doubles for having involuntarily sent a ball to the head of a collector. The organization of Roland-Garros was far too severe in this case, according to her.
Cornet does not dispute that a sanction is necessary, but the combo disqualification + fine + prize money and points earned on the tournament withdrawn, that may be a bit much. The Frenchwoman first sent a message of support to her colleague, who apologized to the ball collector, her doubles teammate Aldila Sutjiadi, her team and the spectators “for this unfortunate incident”. “Foolish decision. I am really sorry for you. But a lot of players (except Marie and Sara, obviously) support you,” Cornet wrote.
Then, in a press conference following her double loss with Diane Parry in the round of 16, she developed her remarks: “It’s unfair, it’s a bad decision. I hope the tournament will give him back his money. The opposite would be crazy. It shouldn’t have happened. We have reached a peak of injustice. Especially Kato! She almost apologizes for living. To be disqualified for that… When I think about it, it makes me want to break everything. She was crying… I hate injustice. The referee really made a huge mistake. He was influenced by the other players. The tournament should apologize to Kato. They disqualified her! The strongest thing we can do. A fine, ok, but a disqualification in the middle of a match…”
The French is angry with Kato’s opponents, Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo, who did not try to pretend to be upset by the situation, and with the match referee for having made his decision too quickly. “It is the referee who must be disqualified (…). He rotted the tournament of a girl who is nickel all year round, all the time, said Cornet. And he doesn’t pay a fine, when he made a huge mistake? She threw a bullet at someone, without doing it on purpose. The video, we can watch it 100 times, there is no doubt. Why don’t they use video in such a case? »
The French assured that she would try to speak to the organizers of Roland to defend the cause of Kato. “I’m going to go see them. It pissed me off too much! Tell them, “I hope you’re not going to take away his prize money.” » Alizé president.