Alizé Cornet had a meeting in the semi-final with the Slovenian Tamara Zidansek. In Bari, the Nice native overcame Reka-Luca Jani, Valentini Grammatikopoulou, and Jennifer Ruggeri. These victories were earned during marathon matches.
To reach the final, Alizé Cornet had quite the challenge this Saturday on Italian soil. Against the former 22nd world-ranked player (in February 2022), the Frenchwoman would have to elevate her level of play. Now ranked 118th in the world, Tamara Zidansek remains a player capable of great performances, especially on clay, her favorite surface.
And the Azur native will pay the price. As the day before, the start of the match swung in favor of her opponent. Quickly down 3-0, she struggled to improve her service games. On a court that remains as tricky as ever, both players sometimes struggled to implement their game plan. Although Alizé Cornet managed to catch up in the first set, she eventually succumbed in the tie-break (73-67).
The second set is paradoxically much more balanced. The players are stronger with their service games. The games progress, suggesting that the set will once again be decided by a tie-break. At the end of the second set, Cornet had three opportunities to break. All were saved by Zidansek, who was determined to secure her first win in three encounters against the Frenchwoman.
This is eventually what happens in the following service game, where Alizé Cornet loses her grip. The Nice native’s journey ends there in Bari. Final score (7-6 / 6-4).
