Australian Open, quarter-final – Alizé Cornet eliminated at the gates of the last four by Danielle Collins

This time, it’s official: there are no more French people at the Australian Open. A little less than 24 hours after Gaël Monfils, beaten in five rounds by Matteo Berretteni, Alizé Cornet also surrendered in the quarter-finals, Wednesday, at the very start of the day in Melbourne. First in line at the Rod Laver Arena, the Frenchwoman was no match for the slugger Danielle Collins (7-5, 6-1). It took 1h28 for the American to bend the Niçoise, completely washed out in the second act.

For Cornet, the match only lasted one inning. Quickly broken in the game, at 2-1 Collins, after a monster game of 11’24” on her engagement, the 61st in the world quickly raced behind and it cost her a lot of strength. Always in the reaction during this quarter-final, with little rhythm in the exchanges, and especially marked by the firepower of Collins, a real Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde tennis version, Cornet mainly made survival. direct, who dictated the tempo of this match, and its scenario.

A crucial end of the first round

This is perhaps the regret for Cornet: she never took the reins of this duel and she missed her first ball sorely. She nevertheless had her slot at the end of the first round because Collins’ style of play, very rough from formwork, was bound to offer her an opening at one time or another. Quietly in control of this first set, the American spent about 40 minutes sending chocolates all over the court, before suddenly getting stuck. At 5-3 for her, while she was serving to win the first set, the grinding machine jammed. At 30/40, on the first break point of the match against her, the former semi-finalist of the tournament (2019) offered the break to Cornet.

The two women then continued their fight and Cornet, more and more mobile, thought for a time that he had found the solution by making his rival play the shot in addition. Problem, it didn’t last long. At 5-6 against her, she suffered the flashback of Collins, who may have found the wire after putting racket blows in the face, in Mikhail Youzhny mode, at 5-5. On her third set point, the native of Saint Petersburg, Florida, hit the mark. The match ended with this set point.

Having broken down in the first ball (59% over the whole match), and struggling to find the right areas in service in general, Cornet went through the second set like a ghost. Completely exhausted, washed out, the 32-year-old saw her whole career come back to her after losing the first set. If she was able to save the honor to the mind at the end of the second round, the outcome of the match had been known for a good half hour already. Despite the disappointment, this beautiful course in the Antipodes will still remain. A journey that can bring something interesting for this 2022 season. No, it’s not the end yet for Alizé Cornet.