Bursting on the tennis scene with some extraordinary results, talented Alizé Cornet quickly established herself as one of the young guns on the WTA tour. A maiden title in Budapest and two runner up efforts in Acapulco and Rome guaranteed the Frenchwoman her first top20 season finish in 2008. However, just when everything seemed to be heading in the right direction, her world collapsed. The turning moment came at the 2009 Australian Open. Facing world number 1, Dinara Safina, in the fourth round, Cornet built a 5-2 up advantage in the decider and looked poised to collect the biggest win of her career. However, after failing to take the 2 match points she held at 5-4, her game crumbled allowing Dinara to win the match.
The loss completely shuttered Alizé's confidence. Although she set a career high ranking at number 11 in February, she was never quite the same player afterwards. What followed was total misery, the French woman losing ten times in the first round.
The loss completely shuttered Alizé's confidence. Although she set a career high ranking at number 11 in February, she was never quite the same player afterwards. What followed was total misery, the French woman losing ten times in the first round.
After enduring her trials and tribulations, years in which she struggled with frustration, lack of confidence and poor results, Cornet looks to have finally found herself again on a tennis court. The first signs came in Strasbourg, on home clay, where she reached her first final in four years, losing a tight encounter with former Roland Garros champion, Italian Francesca Schiavone. A disappointing first round defeat at the French Open did not hinder her momentum though and she finally grabbed that elusive second career crown at Bad Gastein, one of her favourite stops on the tour.
Without dropping a set all week, Alize defeated the likes of Edina Gallovitz-Hall, Sacha Jones, Estrella Cabeza Candela, Ksenia Pervak, and, ultimately, Yanina Wickmayer, to ensure one of the sweetest victories of her career. "It has been four years I haven't won a singles title, so it's just happiness now. I'm so happy," declared an enthusiastic Cornet. "It's been a super week. I really love this tournament. I love the people here and I feel everybody loves me as well. I'm not Austrian, but I feel like I'm Austrian when I'm here. It's my favorite tournament. What more can I ask for than winning it?"
Should this triumph revigorate her career remains to be seen, but, much like Germany's Tommy Haas, the French player proved she is not giving it up without a fight.
photos: AP
Should this triumph revigorate her career remains to be seen, but, much like Germany's Tommy Haas, the French player proved she is not giving it up without a fight.
photos: AP
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